The American government has offered its farmers about the same amount in commodities grain assistance, due to trade issues with China, as is the size of Canada’s grains and oilseeds sector. So far the United States federal administration has put in place US$28 billion, and paid out $8.6 to compensate its farmers. The American business […] Read more
Stories by Michael Raine
Regional crop tour — global attention
Whether in the newspaper or on producer.com, it would have been hard to miss our coverage of the crop tour held by FarmLink Solutions this past week. At The Western Producer, we believe strongly in the value of knowing. Just as we are big believers in remote sensing, ground truthing proves what we believe to […] Read more
Canola feels weather and trade heat
Canola felt the heat of mild weather and trade news in the United States as it fell on the ICE futures market. For a third day in row agricultural commodities on North American markets dropped. Canola was not as badly injured as it soybean cousin, but was still off, pulled down by soybeans. An announcement […] Read more
Credible ag info sources often lacking
Who are the credible sources in agriculture? Last Sunday’s Cross Country Checkup, CBC Radio’s national phone-in program, brought together a variety of sources to discuss the subject of “should we eat meat?” In part, the show’s subject was sparked by an editorial piece presented on The Weather Network that decried beef production for its carbon […] Read more
Trump tweets China mixed with fair weather cuts prices
With the exceptions of feeder cattle and crude oil all of the home-grown, traded-agriculture-commodities in North America went into red figures as the market gave up some of its recent gains. Weather news, suggesting mild and dry conditions for the American corn belt and improving crop-condition reports from the United States Department of Agriculture, mixed […] Read more
Canola down, U.S. crops up
Canola was flat to off slightly across the contracts today, despite stronger American soybean futures contracts. Wheat, corn and soy were up on Chicago, responding to heat in the corn belt, potentially improved negotiations with China, which might aid soybeans and the effects of heat and drought in Europe and Russia on the wheat yields. […] Read more
Trade talks – not just for negotiators
Trade, it’s more in the news than the things we normally think of as news. That said, we have been trying to balance it with everything else we cover for you at The Western Producer on a daily and weekly basis. Technology, seed royalties, ministerial meetings and premiers’ get-togethers, and the condition of the crops […] Read more
Ukrainian machinery maker exports to Canada
Company builds on 20 years of farm machinery with tools for the Canadian market, based on similar crops and conditions
LANGHAM, Sask. — Canada and Ukraine are a lot alike. The two countries share many of the same growing conditions and Ukrainian farmers grow a lot of the same crops and livestock as their Canadian counterparts, so the machinery from each can be a good fit. Often Canadian producers think about Canadian air-seeding and swathing […] Read more
Increased food complexity requires a little clarity
The deep-fried Twizzlers at this year’s Calgary Stampede were all that one could expect. That’s more than can be said for many foods entering the gastronomic realm. They are simultaneously more — and less — than many would expect. Case in point, the “Marrot.” A creation of fast-food chain Arby’s, it looks and tastes like […] Read more
Canola gained with soy, wheat on EU heat
Canola was up on the day’s trading, carried by improvements to American soybean markets. On the ICE market canola was up $1.50 per tonne on November contracts, $2 for January, $2.80 for March and $3.30 for both May and July 2020. November finished at $449, January $456.60, March $464.30, May $470.50 and July $475.10. Wheat […] Read more
