Some of Canada’s hard red spring wheat buyers are tired of paying big premiums compared to what they pay for lower classes of wheat. However, they are preparing to swallow more big spreads between Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat and hard red winter (HRW) and soft red winter (SRW) wheat. “I think the problem […] Read more
Ed White
Stories by Ed White
Canaryseed shipments resume
An intervention by Canada’s agriculture minister has stopped a guillotine chopping off this summer’s canaryseed exports to Mexico. But it’s only a temporary reprieve, canaryseed exports are still on the block and no one knows whether trade will be cut Sept. 15, said trade expert Carl Potts of Pulse Canada. That also leaves the situation […] Read more
Pig brain research benefits humans
Similarities between pigs and humans are so great that pig research could lead to many gains in health knowledge for both mammals. “Irrespective of the funding source, ag or biomedical, anything that helps us better understand pig biology is good,” said University of Illinois researcher Rodney Johnson. “I believe studies that report on the basic […] Read more
How high can canola fly?
If you’ve been busy tending to your crops, you might have missed the recent rocket rally in canola. So here it is: Today canola is fighting with the resistance level of $460 per tonne, so it’s crucial day in the life of this rally. That red line is a simple moving average, which I included […] Read more
Not sure which way to go
How’d you like a higher dollar? Well, you’ve got one. This morning the Bank of Canada upped its trend-setting interest rate by a quarter-point to 0.75 percent. That means almost all floating rates will immediately increase and other interest rates be affected, although longer rates generally have the least direct connection. And it means that […] Read more
Hedging in a volatile market
Everyone in the world of grain – especially farmers – has been slapped upside the head by the wildness of the crop markets in recent years. From the lows of the early 2000s through the sky-highs of 2008 to the following crash and recovery, grain and oilseed prices have been volatile. How do you hedge […] Read more
The Western Producer’s very own cam girl
This week The Western Producer unveiled its very own cam girl. Say hello to: The Western Producer Cow Cam. (This is fully family-appropriate viewing and something I’m looking forward to showing to my young daughters.) This cam carries footage of 17 minutes in a day of the life of Raven, a five year old purebred […] Read more
Wheat price rally a head scratcher
Wheat prices have rallied, but analysts aren’t sure the rise is justified or sustainable. They say wheat prices have piggybacked on corn’s rapid rise on the panic of users and speculators who had market positions based on expectations of falling prices. Also a factor is the re-entry of commodity funds onto the long side of […] Read more
Mexico’s abrupt canaryseed ban has industry frustrated, puzzled
The Mexican border is effectively closed to Canadian canaryseed imports. That is the only thing that is clear about Mexico’s sudden action, affecting about 25 percent of Canada’s canaryseed exports. “Everything’s still up in the air,” said Bob Lafond of Roy Legumex, after a hectic week of industry and Canadian Food Inspection Agency discussions. “We […] Read more
Smirking at, and fearing, the Rooskies
When I was 14, I bought an old shortwave radio from a friend. It looked like this one: I remember stringing a long wire out my window and along the frames of the other second floor windows in our house in order to pick up far off signals. I’d wiggle the controls around, wade through […] Read more
