After ice blocked many ships from reaching ports in April, the latest numbers show that cargo shipments via the St. Lawrence Seaway rebounded in May. According to The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, shipments from March 22 to May 31 totalled 8.3 million metric tons, equaling last year’s performance. Tim Heney, CEO of Thunder Bay… Read More
As of the end of May, Canadian Pacific (CP) moved 22.5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of Canadian grain and grain products since the start of the 2018-2019 crop year, according to a news release. “Since August of last year, we have moved approximately 500,000 metric tonnes more grain than ever before, bettering our record at… Read More
After months of consultation, the Saskatchewan government introduced new training requirements for driving a semi for a farm or ranch operation. The changes follow the implementation of 121.5 mandatory training hours for Class 1 commercial semi drivers that came into effect March 15, 2019. Currently those that drive truck have to obtain an ‘F’ endorsement… Read More
The executive director at Soy Canada says exporters are reporting that China is holding shipments of soybeans on arrival while the country conducts tests for “some normal plant pathogens.” “We haven’t heard of this happening before, so it seems to be new,” Ron Davidson says. The delay has not yet been confirmed to RealAgriculture by… Read More
Early in 2019, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) started an investigation around freight rail service levels in the Vancouver area. At the time, there was speculation as to which industry or industries had made the level of service complaint, and what commodities were all involved. The service complaint is the first test of new transportation… Read More
The agri-business division of La Coop fédérée, recently rebranded as Sollio Agriculture, and QSL, a terminal operator, have announced they will partner on a new grain terminal at the Port of Oshawa, Ontario. QSL operates a network of more than 30 terminals along the St. Lawrence–Great Lake corridor through its subsidiaries in Chicago and Ogdensburg,… Read More
In an outreach effort to connect with the agriculture sector, last week CN Railway took members of the agriculture industry aboard their executive train for a chance to have an open dialogue about how the two industries interact with each other. CN’s executive vice-president corporate services and chief legal officer, Sean Finn was along for… Read More
What’s said in the dome car, stays in the dome car. Alright, that might be an inside joke, but in all honesty the dome car (see photo below) was a very different atmosphere to discuss agriculture. On Tuesday, I had the chance to be part of a small group of agriculture influencers and industry stakeholders… Read More
In her first trip to Saskatchewan, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau spent the day in Saskatoon discussing the issue of China blocking Canadian canola shipments with producers and industry stakeholders. Trade Diversification Minister, Jim Carr was also present during the two part meeting held late last week. Bibeau says they’re “ready to go” when… Read More
G3 is expanding its grain elevator network. The company plans to build two high-efficiency grain elevators near Irricana and in Stettler County, Alta. “Central Alberta is one of the most important grain growing regions in Canada,” says G3 CEO Don Chapman. “We are excited to be able to provide farmers in the region a new choice to market… Read More
Many questions still remain around why Chinese authorities blocked all canola export shipments from Richardson International about two weeks ago. For quite some time, China has been a major importer of Canadian canola. China’s imports account for roughly 4o per cent of of all Canadian exports of canola seed, oil, and meal. The Canola Council of Canada… Read More
Farm groups such as the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) have lobbied the government this past month to get cardlock fuel included in the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (GGPPA) exemption and it looks like they’re close to the finish line. In the release of the federal budget, the government announced it’s looking into… Read More
A confluence of weather events came together in some Midwestern States last week which is causing emotional, physical and financial devastation. A weather ‘cyclone bomb’ with barometric lows most often seen in hurricanes, exploded over a large swath of the U. S. bringing rain, onto snow covered, frozen ground which could not absorb the moisture… Read More
Over the weekend, Members of Parliament held an emergency meeting to discuss the restriction of canola shipments from Richardson International to China. The news of the blocked shipments broke about two weeks ago, and China import officials say the revoked cargo was due to ‘hazardous pests’. Brandon-Souris MP, Larry Maguire says other MPs wanted this emergency… Read More
Canadian National (CN) Railway has announced it will be investing more than $245 million in Saskatchewan, through capital expenditures, hiring more train conductors, and purchasing high horsepower locomotives. CN employs roughly 1,300 people in the province, and its railroad route covers approximately 1,937 miles. “This year, CN is investing $35 million more than last year to… Read More