Quality problems with this year’s durum crop in Italy and France, combined with the worst quality crop on record and lower yields in Canada, have resulted in skyrocketing prices for durum. Buyers are scrambling to find higher quality supplies for pasta production, says Neil Townsend, director of market research with CWB, in the interview below…. Read More

The darkest days in the flax industry are in the past and the future is looking bright, according to the head of the Flax Council of Canada. There’s excitement surrounding flax, with new and more-diversified demand, stronger prices and a  renewed effort to improve agronomic aspects of flax production, says Don Kerr, the new president of the flax industry… Read More

Wheat markets were up about four percent in the post-Canadian Thanksgiving rally as the grain markets all headed higher on quality and harvest progress concerns. That in mind, because of the delayed U.S. harvest, there could still be a lot of grain that doesn’t have a home on the farm and so will be sold… Read More

Farmers of North America is asking the federal government to hold off on privatizing the Canadian Wheat Board to give the Saskatoon-based farmer business alliance more time to pitch its plan for turning CWB into a farmer-owned grain company. FNA has held over 100 farmer meetings across Western Canada over the last month asking farmers… Read More

A creative and patient approach to marketing will be needed to maximize returns on the lower quality crop produced in Western Canada this year, suggests a farm management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. Poor weather during the growing season and at harvest has resulted in a wide range of downgrading factors, including fusarium, mildew, sprouting and frost…. Read More

Bunge is finally starting operations at its new canola processing plant at Altona, Manitoba. “The edible oil refinery is operating and we are testing the crush plant,” confirmed Deb Seidel, a spokesperson for Bunge North America, in an email on Friday. The new facility is designed to process 2,500 metric tonnes per day — more than double the volume of… Read More

There were no major surprises for the corn and soybean markets in the USDA report published on Friday, however the wheat ending stocks projections were lower than the trade was expecting. The smaller stocks, together with funds short-covering, have provided some support to wheat futures over the last week, explains Austin Damiani, commodities broker with Frontier… Read More

Farmers of North America is urgently seeking farmers willing to invest in acquiring a majority stake in CWB (formerly the Canadian Wheat Board.) The “farmer business alliance” has hosted dozens of farmer meetings across Western Canada over the last few weeks — right in the middle of harvest for most potential investors. While the plans that… Read More