MONTREAL — Pulse protein demand and development is being pushed forward by mighty consumer tailwinds. But it also faces frequent headwinds, so promising products have to fight choppy seas. Food developers must tack through the rough waters to reach the consumer demand, Loblaws’ director of product development, Samara Foisy, told the Canadian pulse and special […] Read more
Author Archives
Flexibility will help producers weather current trade storm
Flexibility, big bins and conservative financing are probably the long-term keys for western Canadian farmers trying to survive the frequent market disruptions that an increasingly protectionist world is hurling our way. Keeping a diverse rotation and being able to hang on to unwanted crop are likely to become increasingly important as trade disputes become a […] Read more
PED makes nasty comeback in Manitoba
Manitoba is grappling with a hog disease outbreak that’s so severe it’s even showing up in U.S. import statistics. As of Sept. 10, 74 Manitoba hog production facilities have been discovered positive for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus this year as a widespread outbreak that began in May continues to knock down new barns. Before May, […] Read more
Canada will play “Good cop, bad cop” with China
Either way, Canada shows few signs of buckling. It's not in Canada's nature
Canada’s playing Good cop/Bad cop with China. It’s not an intentional strategy. It’s just the way that the psychology of this country is breaking down. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party are the ‘Good cop’ gang, hoping to use reasonableness, seeming friendliness, understanding and offers of help to get China to back off […] Read more
Hog barn ban less of an issue this election
None of Manitoba’s main political parties is threatening to reimpose the infamous hog barn moratorium. That moratorium, begun in the Red River Valley in 2007 and then extended across the province, initiated a contraction in both hog farming and pork processing in Manitoba. “We’ll definitely look at options for expansion,” NDP Selkirk candidate Mitch Obach, […] Read more
Man. election lacks controversy
Manitoba is quietly cruising toward a Sept. 10 provincial election with the four main parties striving to differentiate themselves. But for voters — farmers and city people —there are few major issues dividing the people and few major differences between the parties. In agriculture, the most marked aspect of the campaign seems to be the […] Read more
Brexit and the baked beans conundrum
MONTREAL — Brexit might amount to a hill of beans. Navy beans, to be precise. “If we see a no-deal Brexit, what does that do the trade routes for navy beans?” said Cindy Brown, the president of the Global Pulse Confederation, during the Pulse and Special Crops Convention. “Will we see disruption in supply? Will […] Read more
Plant protein needs products beyond bogus-burgers
Will the plant protein craze propel farmers into a better-balanced production system and safer markets? There are lots of reason to hope for that as many food industry experts say they see the present surge of interest in non-meat protein as a developing trend rather than a short-term food fad. If demand for pulse and […] Read more
Canaryseed stocks annually unpredictable
MONTREAL — If anybody wants to enjoy a mystery in the western Canadian grain business, look no further than canaryseed stocks. No one ever really knows how much is out there. “The actual supply is a perpetual mystery,” said Neil Townsend of Farmlink Marketing in a market outlook presentation during the Pulse and Special Crops […] Read more
Pulse sector optimistic about India
Access to the Asian giant’s market is still restricted, but exporters say they are starting to notice a softening in tone
MONTREAL — The Canadian pulse industry is feeling better about the situation with India. Not much of substance has changed, but the tone has improved, pulse players were saying during the Pulse and Special Crops Convention held Aug. 21-22. “They’ve opened the door to us,” Cindy Brown, president of the Global Pulse Confederation, said in […] Read more
