SaskCanola and SaskFlax are planning to officially amalgamate to form one organization as of August 1 of this year. After working together and seeking feedback on a potential merger over the past year, formal votes on combining the two oilseed crop commissions were held at their annual general meetings in Saskatoon this week, with delegates… Read More
Category: Flax
The Flax Council of Canada has a new president, as Rick Mitzel has been named to the post, effective immediately. Mitzel replaces Wayne Thompson, who has moved on to serve as executive director at the Western Grains Research Foundation. Mitzel will continue his role as executive director of Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission and CEO of… Read More
The Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SaskCanola) and the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission (SaskFlax) have announced a new management collaboration. Greg Sundquist, chair of SaskFlax, says the new arrangement offers “administrative and operational efficiencies within our industry ensures that growers’ levy dollars are put to the best use.” Canola and flax levies will continue to be… Read More
Regina is set to welcome a new flax straw processing facility that looks to be a win-win business model as it allows producers a solution to flax residue and also will create oversea business opportunities in the way of biomass fuels. Prairie Clean Energy is the company behind the facility and Brita Lind, chief marketing… Read More
Scoular says it has officially opened its new flax processing facility in Regina — the first flax plant to open in Western Canada in nearly a decade. The opening coincides with a strong flax market and record high prices for Canadian flax growers. Scoular’s new facility demonstrates the company’s commitment to providing marketing opportunities for… Read More
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