WINNIPEG — It’s possible that Prairie farmers will plant more oats in 2025. The question is: will the increase be large enough to shore up oat supplies for the next 18 months? “The oat market … is sitting at a balancing point. We could go one way or the other,” said Randy Strychar, president of […] Read more
Robert Arnason
Stories by Robert Arnason
Manitoba Ag Days: Loonie above 70 cents? Not anytime soon, says Farm Credit Canada
BRANDON — On Jan. 8, a Bank of America analyst said the U.S. dollar had “reached a historically extreme value.” That analysis didn’t rattle investors or confidence in the dollar. From Jan. 9-13, the U.S. dollar jumped in value when compared to a basket of global currencies. The might of the dollar over the last […] Read more
Manitoba Ag Days: More canola to Europe, but tariffs loom large — analyst
BRANDON — The possibility of U.S. tariffs is a massive threat to canola growers since 95 per cent of canola oil crushed at Canadian processing plants is exported to America. That threat is real, but there could be other outlets for canola this winter and spring, which should be supportive for price, says a vegetable […] Read more
Tariff threat eases for now; Feb. 1 new deadline
Farm groups will continue to make the case for barrier-free trade as tariff spectre continues to loom
UPDATED: January 21, 2025 – 1310 CST – WINNIPEG — U.S. president Donald Trump didn’t impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and Mexico yesterday on his inauguration day, but said later in the day that he will likely do so by Feb. 1. The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) issued a statement January 21 saying […] Read more
Provincial-state groups work to ease tensions
Canadian and American legislators join cross-border organizations to build strong relationships between the two nations
WINNIPEG — Canada’s agriculture industry is in a Sword of Damocles situation. In this case, the sword dangling overhead is U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and whether he will impose 25 per cent tariffs on a broad swath of agricultural commodities, including grains, oilseeds, meat and livestock from Canada. What might prevent the sword from dropping, […] Read more
Farmland rental situation remains ‘dark market’
Rental rates could be important in 2025 as grain producers deal with lower grain prices and relatively high input costs
WINNIPEG — Nailing down the land rental rates in a particular part of the Prairies is not easy. The governments of Saskatchewan and Alberta used to publish surveys on land leasing in the two provinces. The last time that happened was 2019, so rental rates in those publications are out of date and under-valued. For […] Read more
Sask. producers not ready yet to jump back into soybeans
Acres are still down significantly from the heyday of seven years ago, mainly due to unfavourably dry growing conditions in the province
WINNIPEG — With average yields of 33 to 35 bushels per acre, 2024 was a difficult year for canola in Saskatchewan. Since disappointment is a lingering feeling for many canola growers, there could be an opportunity for alternative crops to grab some acres in 2025. That may be true, but soybeans aren’t part of the […] Read more
Crop Production Show 2025: New herbicide tackles resistance in wild oats
Product features a dual mode of action with Group 1 and Group 2 molecules that removes guesswork from weed control
WINNIPEG — Wild oats and kochia are the most problematic weeds in Western Canada. They’re everywhere, and often come with resistance to herbicides. “The story behind wild oat being one of the biggest grassy weed issues and kochia being one of the biggest broadleaf weed issues, is generally consistent across the board for the Prairie […] Read more
Supplies tighten for phosphate, urea
ST. JEAN, Man — When compared to grain prices, phosphate fertilizer is expensive right now in North America. That dynamic isn’t going to change anytime soon because inventories are down in the United States and imports of phosphate are almost non-existent, says a Nutrien rep. “Phosphate does have a lot of challenges in 2025,” said […] Read more
Precision fermentation: the next food revolution
WINNIPEG — Cargill reported US$177 billion in revenues in 2023. To put that in perspective, Saskatchewan’s gross domestic product was C$79 billion that year. Cargill is a giant in the food and ingredient industry, so when the company’s chief technology officer says he’s excited about a new technology, it’s probably a big deal. “The overall […] Read more
