The disease hasn’t stopped farmers from growing cereals, but they now demand a much higher level of profitability
Fusarium headblight has been evolving for decades as it has spread through North America’s cereal grains areas. So too have farmers, buyers and processors, as the wheat and barley markets grapple with the costs and impacts of the fungal disease. “There’s a shift away from risky crops and to crops that are not as risky,” […] Read moreBarley
NFU vows to fight seed royalty proposal
The National Farmers Union is not happy with what it considers an unacceptable level of corporate influence in the Canadian seed sector. The organization last week voiced its strong opposition to the concept of charging royalties on farm saved seed. “This is absolutely and utterly wrong,” said Manitoba farmer Ian Robson, who spoke at an […] Read more
Malting barley courts two different types of buyers
China and craft beer brewers have become major customers of Canadian barley, but their requirements can be very different
The rising North American craft beer sector and strong demand out of China are both good news stories for Canada’s malt barley sector, but those two customers have different needs that can also create challenges, said industry officials speaking at the annual Grain World conference in Winnipeg Nov. 13. Lorelle Selinger, North American supply chain […] Read moreIntercropping advantage is not just yield
Intercropping has garnered a significant amount of interest in recent years. The jury is still out on whether this practice will grow to be hundreds of thousands or even a million or two acres across Western Canada, but there can be significant advantages to growing two crops together and separating the seeds after harvest. For […] Read more
Saudi-Canadian feud throttles ag markets
Export restrictions have hit barley shipments as dispute continues, but new markets are opening for the crop in China
Jordan Van Hierden read an email a few weeks ago that could have changed his business. It was from a company in Saudi Arabia looking to import forage. For Van Hierden, who works for Green Prairie International in Lethbridge, it was a lost opportunity. “It was from a customer looking for 50,000 dried tonnes of […] Read morePre-booked corn pushes out barley, wheat
Downgraded domestic grain hits the market, but most Alberta feedlots had already ordered their corn supplies
Cattle in southern Alberta’s “feedlot alley” won’t be seeing corn leave their diets any time soon, according to one feedgrain buyer. “The marketplace booked up a fair bit of corn in advance of it, so through September, December and even out into March,” said Dave Guichon, owner of the AgValue Group in Calgary. “So that’s […] Read more
NFU takes aim at new seed royalty proposal
The National Farmers Union will be hosting an event in Saskatoon tomorrow to express its views on seed royalties. Former NFU president Terry Boehm and Manitoba Regional NFU co-ordinator Ian Robson will speak at the event, to be held at 10 a.m. in the Hilton Garden Inn in Saskatoon. Agriculture Canada recently launched consultations on […] Read more
The science of grain shipping
Sometimes when you deliver grain to the elevator it’s shipped west and other times it’s shipped east. It may seem like it’s all completely random but there’s a science to it that grain, shipping and railway companies do every day. This was the focus of a panel discussion entitled “Why does grain flow this way?” […] Read more
Harvest 2018 almost a wrap across the Prairies
The harvest window has closed again after rain followed by sub-zero temperatures and snow swept the Prairies Nov. 4-5. However, most crops are now in the bin, thanks to a two-week window of warm, dry conditions opening up in October. After multiple weeks of delay, many producers were able to return to their fields and […] Read more
Protect stored grain this winter against plural perils
You’ve already invested the money to grow, protect and harvest the crop. Don’t let potential dollar returns slip away this winter while your grain’s in storage. It may seem obvious that there are certain steps you should take to protect the quality and thus the value of your stored grain. However, in the rush to […] Read more
