A difficult fall, with too much rain, late planting and reduced acres, made for a tough Ontario wheat crop heading into winter. As we move into late March, the crop is looking good and RealAgriculture’s resident wheat guru Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson is enthusiastic about prospects for the crop. On this latest Wheat School episode, Johnson notes… Read More
One of the big stories in the Canadian wheat industry this year has been re-emerging demand for Hard Red Winter (HRW) wheat in Ontario. Hard Red Winter used to occupy up to 18 percent of wheat acres in the province, but that number has dropped to an estimated 7 per cent in recent years and… Read More
Over the last decade, the average yield increase for corn tips the scale at five bushels per acre, per year. During the same period wheat yield gains have averaged a meagre one bushel per acre, per year. What is the future of wheat if it can’t match the yield gains of crops like corn and… Read More
Do wheat varieties with higher leaf wax levels perform better in dry, stressful growing conditions? That’s a question RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson and C & M Seeds general manager Ellen Sparry tackle on this episode of the Wheat School as they tour C & M’s research site at the company’s Harriston, ON, location. Sparry notes that… Read More
The bushel is a critical unit in grain farming. It’s used to describe volume in many contexts, including a crop’s yield per acre, the amount of grain that fits in a truck or bin, and as a fundamental piece of information in grain sales contracts. But not all bushels are the same. More specifically, a… Read More
Surging wheat markets mean there’s plenty of profit potential in high protein wheat, and Peter Johnson has some tips to help you cash in on those premiums. In this episode of RealAgriculture Wheat School, Johnson, our resident agronomist and shameless wheat promoter, shares protein management insights for growers in Western Canada and spring wheat growers… Read More
What do millers want? It’s a question seed companies that develop and market wheat varieties are constantly asking. How large end users such as Mondelez International, the makers of products like Ritz crackers and Oreo cookies, answer that question has huge implications for seed companies such as C&M Seeds and wheat growers across Ontario says… Read More
With a growing share of global wheat trade, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan — former Soviet Union countries — have become price setters in the world wheat market over the last few years. As Bill Tierney, chief economist with AgResource Company, points out in this Wheat School episode filmed at Cereals North America ’15, much of… Read More
Grain is in the absolute best condition it can be when it’s put into storage. Keeping it that way is critical for maintaining its value and marketability. Insect infestations aren’t as big a problem for farmers in Canada as in other (read: warmer) parts of the world, but they can still cause significant damage. Typically, 1 to… Read More
The wheat market is due for some additional volatility in the weeks leading up to seeding season in North America, says the general manager of FarmLink Marketing Solutions. Sharing the wheat market outlook at Grainworld ’15 in Winnipeg last week, Lawrence Yakielashek (formerly with Toepfer Canada) said he believes the bearish sentiment in the wheat… Read More
Bringing a new variety to market is not a simple task. In our fast food culture we want everything yesterday, not so much with new wheat varieties. Though it may not seem like it, that’s a good thing. Depending on what that wheat is being bred for, it’s critical that it sees a variety of… Read More
The difference in bushels per acre of wheat from country to country is larger than you might think. On the surface that may seem fairly obvious when we see a drastic difference between climates or access to technologies, but when we look to level the playing field in these areas it begs the question: Can… Read More
August 1, 2012 officially changes the way the wheat producers and industry members do business out west. With that date spelling the end of the single desk marketing system, farmers, buyers and processors have to look closely at their respective businesses and adapt to a whole new ball game. For some involved in the industry,… Read More
Overall the wheat harvest in Ontario has gone well. Some areas have experienced lower than ideal yields but the quality has been very good. With corn and soybeans showing strength the concern or opportunity for Ontario wheat growers is quite interesting. What impact will one million wheat acres have on price? Will the high levels… Read More
For a lot of farmers marketing wheat can be a lot like playing “Let’s Make a Deal”. You pick what’s behind door number one and hope it’s better than what’s behind doors two and three. It’s guesswork and a lot of luck. For other farmers, it feels like you’re preparing to write a thesis, with… Read More
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