The federal government wants to address the decades-old problem of rain delays and their costly impact on west coast ship-loading operations for grain vessels. Last year, Ottawa established a working group on west coast ship-loading comprising grain companies, terminal operators, stevedoring organizations, labour union representatives, port authorities and government officials. The group was established to […] Read more
Brian Cross
Stories by Brian Cross
Deer population called out of control in Sask.
Problem blamed on overpopulation as ‘starving’ animals damage property, get into feed supplies and attract coyotes
Grain grower Ross Vollmer remembers when it was unusual to see a white-tailed deer near his family’s farmyard in central Saskatchewan. Those days are long gone. “When I was a kid, if we’d seen one deer all summer we were pretty happy,” said Vollmer. “Back then, it was a real novelty. Now, there’s 20 or […] Read more
Grain commission adopts new science approach
CGC says initiatives planned under the strategy will allow it to respond to new trends and challenges facing the industry
The Canadian Grain Commission has adopted what it calls a new science strategy. “The strategy lays out a vision for the future of science and research at the Canadian Grain Commission and positions us to respond to the latest trends and developments in the grain sector,” the CGC said in a recent news release. “The […] Read more
Canadian farmland values continue to increase
FCC says land prices rose last year by 14.2 percent in Saskatchewan, 11.2 percent in Manitoba and 10 percent in Alberta
A wise man once said nothing is certain in life, except death and taxes. Perhaps, he should have added rising farmland values to the list. Earlier this week, Canada’s largest farm lender Farm Credit Canada confirmed that the average value of productive Canadian dirt is on the rise again. In its annual Farmland Values Report […] Read more
Interest rates remain up in the air
The Bank of Canada’s recent announcement that it would hold pat on additional interest rate increases for the time being comes as welcome news to debt-carrying Canadians who owe money on land and real estate. But that doesn’t mean that the Bank of Canada rate has peaked. In a conference call with reporters, Farm Credit […] Read more
CP-KCS rail merger gets green light from regulator
The U.S. Surface Transportation Board has given the green light to a proposed merger of Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern Railway. The STB issued its regulatory decision March 15, subject to certain conditions including a seven-year STB oversight period to monitor the competitive impact of the merger. With approval in place, the two […] Read more
Wheat commissions encourage on-farm research
Sask Wheat launched the On Farm Trial Program last year, while the Alberta commission has run Plot2Farm since 2018
Still wondering how that plant growth regulator is affecting wheat yields on your farm? How about those nitrogen-fixing foliar products? Are they worth the time and money? Prairie grain growers have lots of questions about how new products and new agronomic practices affect crop yields, harvestability and net returns. That’s one reason interest in on-farm […] Read more
Bank of Canada holds line on interest rates
The Bank of Canada is holding its key interest rate at 4.5 percent. In a March 8 announcement, governor Tiff Macklem said the country’s central bank is weighing the impact of recent rate increases and prepared to raise interest rates again if necessary to keep inflation in check. But for now, the rate will remain […] Read more
Grain floods into west coast ports
Elevator companies are not reporting major problems as the shipping season shapes up to be a ‘banner year’
Shipments of grains and oilseeds continue to move briskly through west coast export terminals, thanks to mild winter weather and steady deliveries by Canada’s major railway companies. “Things have been going pretty smoothly, knock on wood,” said Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corp., the company that monitors Canada’s prairie grain-handling and transportation system on behalf […] Read more
Soybean sector hits the road with trade missions
Twenty-six industry representatives met more than 220 current and potential customers in three Asian countries
Soy Canada has completed a marketing mission to Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam, where it shared information about Canadian soybeans and promoted them to potential customers in those countries. The mission was Soy Canada’s first since 2019. They were suspended in early 2020 due to concerns over COVID-19. “There’s nothing like being face-to-face to share and […] Read more
