Are you ready for corn prices down around $2.70/bushel, or soybeans under $7 next fall? Those numbers were included in some of the projections shared in Winnipeg this week, as market analysts and traders from around the world gathered for the second annual Cereals North America market outlook conference. The conference was organized and co-hosted… Read More
Author: Kelvin Heppner
Kelvin Heppner, field editor for RealAgriculture, has been reporting on Canadian agriculture since 2008(ish). When he's not working on a story, he's usually in a chicken barn or a field, as he also farms with his family near Altona, Manitoba.
Growth in the area of seed treating and coating has led turf and seed company BrettYoung to build a new multi-million dollar, 28 thousand square foot seed coating facility in the southwest corner of Winnipeg. A grand opening for the seed treatment plant, which has annual capacity exceeding 50 million pounds, was held on Tuesday…. Read More
The Canadian Grain Commission has released a report that provides an overall perspective on cereal crop acres grown in Western Canada this year, breaking down acres by province, class and variety. Carberry, Harvest and Stettler were the most popular Canada Western Red Spring wheat varieties grown on the prairies this year (see chart below), while Flourish… Read More
The idea that GMO-free foods are more “natural” than those with genetically modified ingredients is a misconception, says a plant biologist and advocate for genetic modification from the University of Florida. Speaking at the University of Manitoba last week, Kevin Folta discussed how transgenic (or GM) technology works and misunderstandings about genetically modified organisms. He said by definition,… Read More
Farmers of North America says its bid to acquire the former Canadian Wheat Board and its grain handling assets has been rejected by CWB’s management. FNA was looking to raise up to $380 million from Western Canadian farmers to purchase a majority stake in CWB and use its assets to launch a farmer-owned grain and… Read More
Quality problems with this year’s durum crop in Italy and France, combined with the worst quality crop on record and lower yields in Canada, have resulted in skyrocketing prices for durum. Buyers are scrambling to find higher quality supplies for pasta production, says Neil Townsend, director of market research with CWB, in the interview below…. Read More
Now that we’re a few weeks into the 2014-15 hockey season, we’re starting to get an understanding of how teams stack up against each other. As has been the case the last few years, it’s looking like most Canadian teams will be in a fight to just make the playoffs, with the Montreal Canadiens being… Read More
The U.S. is running out of options if it wants to avoid facing retaliatory trade action from Canada in response to its country of origin labeling (COOL) rules. Canada could have permission from the World Trade Organization to implement retaliatory tariffs by this time next year if the American government doesn’t make changes to COOL… Read More
The darkest days in the flax industry are in the past and the future is looking bright, according to the head of the Flax Council of Canada. There’s excitement surrounding flax, with new and more-diversified demand, stronger prices and a renewed effort to improve agronomic aspects of flax production, says Don Kerr, the new president of the flax industry… Read More
Farmers of North America is asking the federal government to hold off on privatizing the Canadian Wheat Board to give the Saskatoon-based farmer business alliance more time to pitch its plan for turning CWB into a farmer-owned grain company. FNA has held over 100 farmer meetings across Western Canada over the last month asking farmers… Read More
World Food Day has been observed annually, every October 16th, since 1981. The aim of the event is to raise awareness of world hunger and poverty and to inspire solutions for world change. Canada has a responsibility to help farmers in developing countries where people don’t have enough to eat, according to a survey of Canadians conducted… Read More
A creative and patient approach to marketing will be needed to maximize returns on the lower quality crop produced in Western Canada this year, suggests a farm management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. Poor weather during the growing season and at harvest has resulted in a wide range of downgrading factors, including fusarium, mildew, sprouting and frost…. Read More
There were no major surprises for the corn and soybean markets in the USDA report published on Friday, however the wheat ending stocks projections were lower than the trade was expecting. The smaller stocks, together with funds short-covering, have provided some support to wheat futures over the last week, explains Austin Damiani, commodities broker with Frontier… Read More
Harvest continues to drag out, as farmers in parts of both Western and Eastern Canada cope with some less-than-ideal weather conditions. For this week’s ag news recap, we discuss harvest progress, the upward movement in the markets over the last week, how to communicate complicated science with the public and number of other things that happened… Read More
Farmers of North America is urgently seeking farmers willing to invest in acquiring a majority stake in CWB (formerly the Canadian Wheat Board.) The “farmer business alliance” has hosted dozens of farmer meetings across Western Canada over the last few weeks — right in the middle of harvest for most potential investors. While the plans that… Read More