Except for wheat, grain markets this week trended mostly lower. The oilseed complex saw a significant sell-off as the start to the U.S. growing season has been good. Further, there haven’t been any noticeable discussion between the U.S. and China regarding trade. The market is interpreting this as bearish for soybeans. Next week Tuesday, June… Read more »
Category: Eastern Canada
Ontario morphs into Ford Nation— who might end up as ag minister?
It’s been a wild few months for Ontario’s provincial leaders. From the sudden resignation of the PC’s Patrick Brown in late January, to the nail-biter of a leadership race between Christine Elliott and the eventual victor Doug Ford, and on to an election that saw Andrea Horwath’s fortunes rise even as Premier Kathleen Wynne conceded… Read more »
La Coop fédérée to build $90 million grain terminal at Port of Quebec
La Coop fédérée has announced plans for a $90 million grain transfer terminal to be built at the Port of Quebec for agriculture commodities destined for European and Asian markets. The new terminal at Pier 106 in Anse au Foulon will have the capacity to export of 1.3 million metric tons of grain per year, with an… Read more »
Coca-Cola to build fairlife milk processing facility at Peterborough
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The news Coca-Cola and fairlife, LLC, have announced they will introduce fairlife Ultrafiltered Milk to Canada by the end of 2018. The introduction of the higher-protein, lower-sugar, lactose-free dairy beverage will also spur development of a new $85 million production facility at Peterborough, ON. This is the first market introduction outside of the U.S. for… Read more »
Election homestretch: Farm & rural platforms of the NDP and PCs
In a surprising twist to this already tumultuous provincial election, Premier Kathleen Wynne held a press conference over the weekend to concede defeat, days before the election is to be held. Wynne, emotional in her speech, admitted she has no chance of being re-elected premier, and instead urged voters to still vote Liberal to ensure… Read more »
OMAFRA pilots pay-for-print program for extension publications
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is piloting a print-on-demand service for some of its extension publications, including the Guide to Weed Control. In addition, a few crop production publications have just now been made available for free download. The ministry says the pay-as-you-need service through a third party allows “clients to access hardcopies… Read more »
Ontario planting progress: corn over 90%, soybeans 65-70%
Over 100 farmers from more 30 Ontario counties participated in our ‘roll-call’ on Twitter this past weekend. We asked where they expected to be at with planting corn and soybeans by Sunday evening. Most regions have planted their intended corn acres except regions south of London and the Niagara/Haldimand clay, with some only starting to… Read more »
Dairy Distillery turns waste skim milk into tasty spirit
What started as a fascination with craft distilling and a chance discussion about dumping skim milk has evolved into a tasty new business at Almonte, Ontario. Neal McCarten is director of operations for Dairy Distillery, and it was his family’s farm background that led to a discussion with Omid McDonald, founder and CEO, about how… Read more »
Soybean shuffles and canola climbs — This week in the grain markets
Grain markets were mostly higher this week in a risk-off sort of mood thanks to a relaxed tone of the trade war narrative we’ve been hearing, as well as a some weather premium creeping into the complex. Nearly two months ago, you could say soybeans (and soybean prices) were on the verge of Armaggedon as… Read more »
Saputo buys Ontario specialty dairy company
Montreal-based dairy giant Saputo has announced the purchase of Shepherd Gourmet Dairy, based at St. Marys, Ontario, for $100 million. Employing about 90 people, Shepherd Gourmet is known for its specialty cheeses, including feta, sheep’s milk ricotta, and Skyr Icelandic-style yogurt. Saputo says the purchase enables the company’s Canadian dairy division to increase its presence… Read more »
In 30 years, will farming be as controversial as oil & gas is now?
I read a column recently that made my stomach drop, just a little. The article, a sign-off from seasoned journalist Claudia Cattaneo, showcased not just her career spent covering the oil and gas sector, but also highlighted the current lack of in-depth, credible reporting on a controversial industry. As I read the following, I noticed… Read more »
Can Doug Ford make populism work in Ontario?
Ontario’s provincial election is shaping up to be a two-horse race. Major polls this week show the Progressive Conservative party and Doug Ford holding the lead but Andrea Horwath’s campaign for change is gaining ground as voters leave the fading Liberals and consider the front-runners. An Ipsos poll earlier this week pegged PC popular support at… Read more »
Cool in the east, dry in the west & similarities to 1936: Drew Lerner’s summer outlook
A transition between weather patterns over the next three weeks will go a long way in determining the kind of weather we can expect for the rest of summer, while potentially offering some short-term relief in dry areas, according to Drew Lerner of World Weather Inc. Lerner joined RealAg Radio on Wednesday to discuss his… Read more »
The small world of ag: U.S. ag secretary tweets t-shirt photo quoting Sask. dairy farmer
It’s funny how word travels in today’s social media world. Someone shares a photo or message on Twitter or Facebook and it can be instantly seen around the world. If shared publicly, you never know who’s going to see or react to what you posted. Take, for example, this tweet by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture… Read more »
Grain Farmers of Ontario releases wish list ahead of the provincial election
Grain Farmers of Ontario wants to see a targeted growth strategy, a focus on business risk management programs, funding for an educational farm demo site, and signed trade agreements out of the next Ontario government. GFO also says it would like to see an exemption on farm fuel costs associated with Climate Change regulations of… Read more »