Last week’s USDA report managed to bring one notable surprise to light. Soybean yields were actually much higher than anticipated. While that may have been a welcome surprise to farmers and is overall a good news story, there will be a bit of an adjustment period while a market, that doesn’t really like surprises, adjusts… Read More
Category: Corn
The line-ups at elevators in Ontario are continuing to slow down the corn harvest. With corn harvest happening all at once due to the wet weather dryers are having a hard time keeping up. According to Peter Gredig, the additional contributing factor to the long dryer lines is that the yields have generally been higher than expected…. Read More
In a good news/not so good news scenario, the 2012 corn crop is showing very low incidence of ear molds. That said, there are likely to be areas with higher numbers, and farmers are reminded to scout or test each field for possible infection, especially if the crop is destined for feed use. In this… Read More
As farmers approach the mid-way point of the Ontario corn harvest (and quickly surpass it, we hope), preliminary reports suggest decent yields in spite of challenging conditions. That said, it most certainly wasn’t an ideal growing season, and farmers aren’t likely to see their highest ever production this year. What a challenging year does allow… Read More
There are more than a few weeks ahead yet for the corn harvest, but as a testament to constantly improving genetics and the hardiness of the crop, preliminary corn yields for 2012 are actually quite good. There are areas that are hurting, yes, but some farmers are pleasantly surprised with yields and quality, especially in… Read More
Dow AgroSciences LLC announced today Canadian approval of the Enlist trait for corn and soy. This will allow for the first-ever cultivation of the traits, which provide tolerance to 2,4-D herbicide, giving Canadian farmers options when dealing with hard-to-control and resistant weeds in both crops. The Enlist corn and Enlist soybean traits have undergone evaluation… Read More
Harvest is always a busy time and weather and mechanical delays are to be expected. But if all is going reasonably well and you’ve got several fields ready to harvest all at once, have you ever thought about the best way to prioritize harvesting one field over the other? Right now, there are still soybeans… Read More
The Ontario corn crop certainly started out with great potential. Then the rain petered out. Pockets of the corn growing region received showers, but by late July, we were already talking about how big a bite the drought was taking out of yield. We’ll know in a few week’s time as the corn harvest gears… Read More
The Ontario corn crop isn’t going to break any yield records in 2012, but most producers are going to fare OK once decent prices are factored in to the lower yields. One bright spot in a tough year is variety comparison — in a good year, it’s difficult to really be objective as to what… Read More
It was the great Kenny Rogers that said “There’ll be time enough for countin, when the dealin’s done”. Well, Kenny Rogers never grew corn….at least not to my knowledge. The truth is, there is a benefit of having an idea where your crop will yield before it’s off the field. The trick comes in estimating… Read More
The recent meat recall at XL Foods is just another issue to provide adversity to the Canadian cattle industry. With one of two Western Canadian packers being forced to deal with a meat recall the lift lines have pushed an already wide basis wider. Additionally, the topic of a struggling pork industry has left… Read More
The price of corn is something that’s weighing heavy on the minds of producers right now. Not producers only, but everyone affected either directly or indirectly with the crop is wondering where corn will top out and where it’s headed as we look to 2013. In this episode of the Corn School, Moe Agostino of… Read More
Whether you are a fan of QR Codes or not, you have to admit that this is very cool. Kraay Family Farm has officially been informed by the Guinness Book of World Records that they have created the world’s largest QR Code. Based in Lacombe, Alberta, Kraay Family Farm created the QR code to cover a record 309,570 square… Read More
Hog production in Western Canada had a rough go this week. First, Big Sky Farms entered receivership — for the second time in less than four years — then, just yesterday, Puratone Corporation filed for creditor protection. It is not a good time to be a hog farmer, with reported losses per hog ranging from… Read More
The current livestock feeding environment is not sustainable, according to John Oliver. Casualties continue to mount in the hog industry as major producers fall as a result of the high price of corn. The cattle industry is not immune to skyrocketing input costs either, as feedyards deal with the same issues around high commodity prices…. Read More