CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — United States farmers are likely to plant a record amount of land with soybeans in 2018 and will also likely boost the area devoted to most other major crops, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has predicted. If the forecasts are borne out, then another year of bumper supply could prolong a […] Read more
USDA forecasts more corn acres, record high soybeans in 2018-19
Sorting the good from the bad
RED DEER — A simple grain cleaner has shown results when it comes to cleaning vomitoxin out of cereal seed. Grain Cleaning LLC offers a series of cleaners that push an airstream through a curtain of grain. Heavier material drops through openings near the airstream’s origin, while lighter material is blown through openings further across […] Read more
Consumers are receiving mixed messages
Consumer engagement and education has become an agricultural growth industry, but as the famous adage goes, “we have met the enemy and he is us.” Public trust, or more accurately the lack of public trust, is now recognized as one of the biggest threats facing agriculture. We all know the story. Fewer and fewer consumers […] Read more
Wheat protein spreads widen
Protein spreads for spring wheat are raising eyebrows. “They’re awfully wide,” said Brian Voth, president of IntelliFARM Inc. “They’re wider than what we’ve ever seen as long as I can remember, even under the (Canadian) Wheat Board days.” The discount for 12 percent protein is about $1 per bushel below the price paid for 13.5 […] Read more
Shipping efficiency key goal
Faster, taller, shorter, longer, fewer and bigger. Those are the attributes of the future western Canadian grain logistics system, transportation system players told the Grain World conference. “The role of our primary elevator system has completely changed and has to focus on shifting velocity,” said Karl Gerrand, the president of G3 Canada. A number of […] Read more
Drought reduces wheat disease risk
MEDICINE HAT, Alta. — There may be a silver lining in the cloud of the 2017 drought in much of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. It has probably reduced the likelihood that wheat streak mosaic virus will be a problem in 2018. Mary Burrows, a plant pathologist at Montana State University and an expert on the […] Read more
Crop profitability becomes more elusive
Pulse crop prices have gone to heck in a hand basket. Lentils have been under serious price pressure, and now India has announced its 50 percent tariff on peas, effectively barricading our number one market. At harvest time, the price for red lentils was soft at around 21 cents a pound. Now, the price has […] Read more
Proper vaccination products, methods essential in effective disease control
Common preventable problems crop up when investigating disease outbreaks in the cattle industry. This column will outline some of the common problems I see and hopefully help you prevent issues on your farm or ranch. A number of clostridial disease outbreaks occur where booster doses of eight-way vaccines have not been given. For example, clostridial […] Read more
Canola rises even as loonie climbs
January canola futures eked out a gain Monday as the crop continues to show relative short-term weakness. Soy oil futures rose about double canola’s gain, with canola’s strength limited by the rising Canadian dollar. “It’s choppy right now,” said Ken Ball, broker with P.I. Financial in Winnipeg. “The markets are going to be choppy going […] Read more
Transportation bill heads to the Senate
A federal bill aimed at improving Canada’s transportation systems and ensuring better rail service for shippers passed third reading in the House of Commons Wednesday and is off to the Senate. If passed, the Transportation Modernization Act will provide greater certainty for western Canadian grain shippers that depend on Canadian railway companies to transport grain […] Read more
