Flax growers in Western Canada and North Dakota who have historically sold straw to Schweitzer-Mauduit International (SWM) are now scrambling to find a market for their straw. The Georgia-based company, which has processing facilities at Winkler and Carman, Manitoba, is planning to cease its flax straw operations by the end of 2021. As a result,… Read More
Flax Council of Canada recently announced they have developed a new business plan, focused on market access activities and encouraging new memberships. Wayne Thompson, chief executive officer of Flax Council of Canada, recently joined Kara Oosterhuis to talk about the issues facing the flax industry and how the updated plan will breathe new life into… Read More
The grain markets offered farmers a gift this fall with a harvest rally. While highs may have been locked in for some crops already, there is still plenty to talk about ahead of the busy shipping season. For this episode of RealAg LIVE!, stand-in host Kara Oosterhuis is joined by Chuck Penner, founder of LeftField… Read More
A new web application recently released by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) allows users to access yield forecasts for barley, canola, oats, corn, soybeans, and more. But the app isn’t just limited to yield forecasts — the app can generate a large number of stats, based on the most recent data. Catherine Champagne, manager of… Read More
Any flax producer knows that the biggest challenge to growing the crop is the long, fibrous residue left behind. The following seeding season, these long-stem fibres — also known as shive — get wrapped around discs, wheels, or seeder-shanks. It’s known as “the straw problem” according to the former Flax Council of Canada, and it… Read More
Besides being the most beautiful crop the Prairies grow, Michelle Beaith, agronomist with Saskatchewan Flax, is encouraging farmers to think about growing the oil and fibre crop this season and in the future. “It’s a good alternative,” she says. “It has a lot of unique diseases. You can break that disease cycle, whether it be… Read More
The flax industry has had some tough years. Still recovering acres from the Triffid issue from a few years ago, this past year’s drought in the southern half of the Prairies also limited production. SaskFlax, however, has continued to move forward and plan for success. After the annual general meeting at CropSphere recently, Wayne Thompson,… Read More
Farmer directors representing five Manitoba producer organizations have completed a proposal to amalgamate into a single, new not-for-profit organization focused on research, communication and market development. The five groups looking to form one organization are: the Manitoba Corn Growers Association (MCGA), Manitoba Flax Growers Association (MFGA), National Sunflower Association of Canada (NSAC), Manitoba Wheat and Barley… Read More
As Mother Nature brought too little to no moisture during the growing season and then an abundance of a rain and snow during harvest, the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) has extended its sample program. “We decided to extend the deadline for harvest sample submissions to make sure that as many producers as possible could take… Read More
“An exciting time for Canadian flax,” is how the new chair of the Flax Council of Canada describes the announcement of a new structure for the national flax organization on Wednesday. The Flax Council’s restructuring comes after the council decided to close its Winnipeg head office in January due to the need to reduce costs, with… Read More
The Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission has hired its own agronomist to support flax growers in the province. Michelle Beaith joined SaskFlax as of Monday. “Having a flax agronomist will be hugely beneficial to our organization and to flax producers,” says Wayne Thompson, executive director for SaskFlax, in a statement. “Michelle will be able to help… Read More
The Flax Council of Canada has announced that it’s closing its doors at the end of the month, citing the need to reduce costs. After 32 years representing the flax industry nationally, the organization’s executive committee says it decided to close the Flax Council’s office when it became apparent that a new combined oilseed council… Read More
When it comes to flax, farmers want to see two things: higher yields and easier straw management, says the chair of the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission. While flax grower organizations have invested significant resources over the last few years in researching agronomic practices for higher yields, Erwin Hanley, who farms south of Regina, says they’ve realized they also… Read More
The number of flax acres in Western Canada will likely be up this year, but it’s looking like it might not be as high as many analysts and people in the flax industry were expecting. According to Statistics Canada’s planting intentions report released last month, farmers in Western Canada are planting 1.63 million acres of… Read More
After three decades of fairly stagnant yields in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, a renewed focus on agronomic practices with flax could unlock higher yields, says a former flax breeder who now works as a research consultant for the Flax Council of Canada. “I think that flax has been undermanaged to some degree, even with fertility,” says Paul Dribnenki in the… Read More