WINNIPEG (CNS) – As United States President Donald Trump follows his “American first” policy and pulls out of trade deals, it could spell future opportunity for the Canadian agricultural industry, according to Dermot Hayes, a professor with the department of economics at Iowa State University. “In D.C. it’s chaotic. It’s the craziest situation I’ve ever […] Read more
Barley
Trump’s anti-trade agenda could be great for Canadian ag
As the U.S. digs itself into a deeper hole trade opportunities for Canada emerge
Russia’s wheat dominance set to get bigger in the future
Ample wheat, weak currency boosts Russia's exports
For the first time since the days of the tsars, Russia this year will be the world’s largest wheat exporter at an expected 35 million tonnes. It will likely export a total of more than 45 million tonnes of grain once corn and barley are added in. Infrastructure constraints pose a limit to its exports […] Read more
Commodity groups abound, but system works
Western Canada has an array of commissions, boards and councils representing all the crops we grow. Not surprisingly, there are always changes afoot in this complicated jigsaw puzzle. Many producers wonder why we have so many organizations and what exactly they all accomplish. The way legislation works in Canada, it’s very difficult to establish multi-province […] Read more
Canada taps into Chinese barley demand
Global demand for top quality malting barley continues to grow
Annual barley plantings in Western Canada continued their downward trend in 2017, slipping to roughly 5.44 million acres — the crop’s smallest seeded acreage in more than a decade. Nonetheless, there is cause for optimism, according to the head of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre. Despite reduced acreage and relatively tight margins, global demand […] Read more
Canfax report – Jan. 25 – 2018
The January cattle on feed report for Alberta-Saskatchewan showed inventories at 929,725 head, eight percent more than last year at this time. This number is in line with the five year average, but this is the fourth smallest January inventory since reporting began in 2000. However, December placements were the smallest since reporting began with […] Read more
Canada: from slow to go with TPP
CPTPP will open new markets for Canadian farmers
Canada will join the 11-member Asia-Pacific trade pact, a government source confirmed on Tuesday, saying “Canada has secured real gains” in talks to agree a deal. Trade officials signed off on a final text earlier in the day after a meeting in Tokyo to overcome challenges such Canada’s insistence on protection of its cultural industries. […] Read more
Crop budget numbers can be misleading
Beware the numbers used when comparing cropping options. Various government and private players get into the game, and this is the time of year when those estimates garner the most attention. Unfortunately, questionable assumptions skew the results. The Saskatchewan agriculture ministry recently released its Crop Planning Guide for 2018. A lot of thought and work […] Read more
Easing fusarium stance would be prudent move
The Alberta government is inching toward the possibility of removing fusarium from its Agricultural Pest Act, with the idea of developing a new management plan. It’s a prudent move. It would have been prudent five years ago. The province has launched a survey on how to tackle the most dangerous fungal disease in cereals, particularly […] Read more
New funding announced for ADF in Sask.
The federal and Saskatchewan governments have contributed $7.7 million to crop-related research projects through the Agriculture Development Fund. Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart announced the funding agreement Jan. 9 at CropSphere in Saskatoon. Ottawa and Saskatchewan have committed an additional $6.25 million over the next five yearto the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre. That […] Read more
Grain handler can trace problem crop back to farm
It’s a scenario that keeps grain exporters awake at night. A vessel with 70,000 tonnes of Canadian grain arrives at port in Japan. Samples are taken and tested. The shipment is then rejected because the samples exceed the maximum residue limit for a particular pesticide. However, exporters such as Richardson International plan for such scenarios […] Read more
