The words “Made in Canada branding campaign” had hardly dried on the page of federal finance minister Jim Flaherty’s Economic Action Plan last week before marketing experts started taking shots at it…even though they didn’t know what it was about. They couldn’t know, because the government itself didn’t — all the budget contained was one… Read More
Category: Ag Business
Is planting accurately while running 10 mph possible? John Deere says yes, if you’re using its new seed delivery system ExactEmerge row unit. Unveiled at the 2014 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky, the ExactEmerge promises precise seed placement and spacing— 10% better at traditional speeds — but boasts the ability to travel at… Read More
If there’s one topic farmers can’t get enough of this month, it’s rail movement. Eclipsing even crop prices, logistics and rail movement was the topic of discussion from breakfast to late-night beverages at FarmTech ’14 last week. RealAgriculture’s editor, Lyndsey Smith, sat down with Gordon Bacon, CEO of Pulse Canada, to talk about the three… Read More
Maintaining good relationships should be a priority in any succession plan, but sometimes it’s hard to get past the financial and legal jargon associated with the process. For both reasons, a farm business should consider appointing a third party to mediate discussions. And, in the meantime, it doesn’t hurt to learn about some of your… Read More
The Canadian dollar has been very comfortable at par for quite some time. So much so, that it well and truly was the new normal. Recently, however, a few factors have converged to pressure the loonie’s value. The question is, is this a blip or a trend, and who wins and who loses in the… Read More
Weyburn Inland Terminal’s (WIT) board of directors has unanimously accepted an offer from Parrish & Heimbeker to purchase the company. The purchase agreement is subject to court approvals and the approval of two-thirds of the votes cast by shareholders present in person or by proxy at the special meeting of shareholders. The sale is also subject… Read More
Nineteen years out of the last 23, you’d have saved money by pre-buying your fertilizer in the fall. Of course, fall application of fertilizer is subject to high rates of losses, potentially negating any savings and having a negative impact on the environment, and storing fertilizer isn’t always possible. So, it’s not surprising then that… Read More
The last Ford I owned outright – and lived to tell the tale — was a 1972 Pinto. To me, at the time, it was a beauty, silver-grey with a thick black stripe along the rocker panels. I thought it was cool, but, in truth, I was an idiot to drive it. I was lucky… Read More
CWB today announced it has acquired a 10% stake (approximately) in Prairie West Terminal Ltd (PWT), a farmer-owned grain handling organization located in west central Saskatchewan. Including the shares owned by Mission Terminal Inc.,a wholly-owned subsidiary of CWB, this 10% buy-in brings total CWB ownership of PWT up to approximately 12% ownership. Financial details of… Read More
Consumers want food that’s as cheap as possible. True, they want safe food, too, and all those other features such as wholesome, nutritious and environmentally sound food. But mainly, they want food cheap. The huge increase in grocery items at big box stores and discount outlets bears that out. Exceptions exist, particularly with the growing… Read More
The Beef Straw Man trio published a recommendations report at the end of December, 2013, based on the outcome of meetings held over the last year. The report signals the end of the Beef Straw Man process and provides recommendations based on three strategic priorities: industry profitability, competitiveness, and synergy and alignment. Learn More: Beef Straw… Read More
Dow AgroSciences and John Deere have announced the companies will collaborate to “develop approaches and technology that will deliver data and provide information to farmers that will assist in the execution of site-specific applications to improve yields and manage costs.” Specifically, Dow AgroSciences has signed on to leverage the MyJohnDeere platform and new cloud-based technologies… Read More
Farmers are understandably frustrated by slow grain movements out of the Prairies this year, as a giant crop has western ports at a stand-still. The finger is often pointed at oil tankers hogging all the railway tonne-miles as a major part of slow grain movement off the Prairies, but as with any logistical problem, the… Read More
Farming can be an overwhelming business, with scientific and economic complexities in every decision. Just deciding on seeding plans or organizing a work crew for silage season can be incredibly stressful. And just when you thought the decisions couldn’t be anymore prevalent, you get a call from a land company requesting access to survey for… Read More
Precision farming and variable rate application technology matures every year. Whether it’s advances in mapping or data integration or the roll out of new iron up to the challenge, farmers have no shortage of new precision farming tools at their disposal. Kinze Manufacturing is adding to that stable of options with its latest corn concept… Read More