Many in Canada’s agriculture sector believe politics is the only way to resolve China’s import ban on canola seed. Few know more about that than Gerry Ritz, who was Canada’s agriculture minister from 2007 through 2015. He dealt with a couple of China market access issues during his tenure as minister, including the canola blackleg […] Read more
Flax
Significant disruptions underway to markets
The future of agricultural trade is in uncharted territory. Buckle up. It could be a rough ride. It’s very difficult to make sense of it all. The best analysis I’ve seen comes from Al Mussell, Douglas Hedley and Ted Bilyea of Agri-Food Economic Systems based at Guelph, Ont., in a just-released report called Disarray in […] Read more
Trade dispute affects only canola seed
Reports that China’s ban on Canadian canola imports have expanded to include flax, wheat, peas and barley are false, according to the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance. “It’s really important that growers understand it’s only affecting canola seed,” said CAFTA president Brian Innes. Canola oil and meal are also excluded from the ban. Earlier this month […] Read more
UPDATE: No Chinese restriction on Canadian wheat, peas, flax imports
UPDATED – 1110 CST, March 25, 2019 – Canadian government and industry, agriculture and trade officials, say there is officially no abnormal restriction on agricultural product exports to China, with the exception of canola seed. The Canadian Agriculture and Food Trade Association and the federal Minister of Agriculture confirm that the restrictions are only on […] Read more
Tension with China also worries flax
China buys a lot of Canadian flax, and an analyst says farmers can’t afford to lose market share to political issues
Canada’s concerns about sales to China go beyond canola, says market analyst Marlene Boersch. More than half of Canadian flax exports so far this year have gone to China, and Boersch said farmers can’t afford to lose market share to political issues. China can source most crops, including flax, from other suppliers. “It is possible […] Read moreLatest China-canola controversy not easy to fix
Whenever Canadian canola receives national attention, it isn’t usually a good news story. Officially, the Chinese say the cancellation of Richardson canola exports is due to some sort of pest problem in shipments. Although this is highly unlikely, it isn’t impossible. Remember back when traces of unregistered genetically modified flax were found in Europe? Canadian […] Read more
Canaryseed prices likely to stay on low side
Analyst also doesn’t expect a big change in prairie acreage, although a lack of data can make predictions tricky
Canaryseed acres are remaining similar to previous years, including the big production season of 2013, when the weather favoured the crop. However, yields since 2013 haven’t been as abundant, and supplies can tend to be tricky to read because of a lack of hard data about the production side of the crop. Chuck Penner, the […] Read moreBig acreage shifts predicted for the Prairies
Agriculture Canada’s Market Analysis Group is forecasting sizable acreage shifts in the upcoming growing season. The predictions are in the Jan. 25 edition of Canada: Outlook for Principal Field Crops. Released regularly, these reports include supply and demand projections from long-time federal analysts. With durum prices running at a discount to most classes of wheat, […] Read more
CTA urged to scrutinize legality of railway measures
VANCOUVER — The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) heard its first day of oral testimony from railway companies and shipper groups yesterday, part of a federal investigation into Vancouver area rail problems that began last November and persisted into early 2019. The oral hearings, which will continue today, are aimed at learning more about the factors […] Read more
Company launches mobile hemp, flax decorticators
An Alberta company might help solve a hemp-processing problem by supplying mobile equipment to farmers to extract valuable fibres from the crop. Jesse Hahn, vice-president of venture development at Natural Fibre Technologies, said the company plans to launch at least three to five mobile decorticators this year, possibly changing the hemp-and flax-decortication game in Canada. […] Read more
