A company from Pakistan has chosen Altona, Man., as the location to build a $9 million processing plant for chickpeas, lentils and beans. Zeb Rice, which sells basmati and jasmine rice to 17 European countries, selected the southern Manitoba community after considering several locations in Man-itoba and Saskatchewan. The key factor in the decision was […] Read more
Robert Arnason
Stories by Robert Arnason
Three Man. regions ban hog expansion
Manitoba conservation minister Stan Struthers issued a permanent moratorium on hog barn expansion in three regions of the province, on the same day the Clean Environment Commission’s report was released on March 3. No further expansion will be allowed in the province’s southeast, the Red River Valley and the Interlake, said Struthers. However, the moratorium, […] Read more
Man. permanently halts hog barn construction
Manitoba’s hog industry has been blindsided with the release of the long-awaited Clean Environment Commission’s report, hog officials say. In its interpretation of the commission’s 48 recommendations, the Manitoba government has determined that growth in the industry is not sustainable in the province’s southeast, the Red River Valley and the Interlake. The province’s decision to […] Read more
CWB alters contract hours
To reduce market risk, the Canadian Wheat Board has changed the pricing times for contracts linked to futures prices on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange. As of Feb. 25, the pricing periods for the board’s fixed price and basis price contracts will run from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. central time, Monday to Friday. The contracts […] Read more
Steady cattle prices expected
Although there are concerns about demand, analyst Kevin Grier predicts a steady year for U.S. fed cattle prices in 2008 and that should provide good stability for Canadian prices. “In the first half I suggest will average about $92 US per hundredweight. … In the second half I’m suggesting $95 per cwt.,” Grier said of […] Read more
No cheap fertilizer for spring seeding
Price relief for fertilizer may be on the horizon, says a U.S. market analyst, but farmers shouldn’t expect a decrease in time for this year’s seeding. “After the spring … prices will start to drift down,” said David Asbridge, client development manager and senior economist with Doane Advisory Services in St. Louis, Michigan. “If forced […] Read more
Biofuel policies scrutinized
When Ken Sigurdson speaks, he gets right to the point. “Ethanol is a feel-good industry that achieves no public policy objective. It’s the most misguided public policy being introduced in Canada,” said Sigurdson, as he opened his presentation at GrainWorld in Winnipeg. Sigurdson, a farmer from Swan River, Man., and spokesperson for the Save My […] Read more
Biodiesel sector hungry for oilseeds
With all the talk of booming demand in China and India, it’s easy to forget the obvious. “The new demand is significant, but if you take biodiesel out of the picture, it’s a very different picture,” says Nancy DeVore, senior economic analyst with Bunge Global Agribusiness. “Biodiesel is the big gorilla in the room.” DeVore, […] Read more
Corn prices expected to rise
If you are still adjusting to the reality of $5 corn, David Drozd has a message – don’t get too comfortable, because his chart analysis points to corn reaching $7.30 US. Drozd, a grain marketing adviser and president of Ag-Chieve in Winnipeg, is bullish on most crops right now, but corn is his pick for […] Read more
Prices higher in 2008-09
The Canadian Wheat Board’s first Pool Return Outlook for the new crop nearly cracked the $400 a tonne barrier for top spring wheat. New crop No. 1 CW red spring wheat 14.5 percent protein came in at $399 a tonne, or $10.86 a bushel at port. No. 1 durum 14.5 percent protein is $470 a […] Read more
