Roberta Rampton

In the past year, the value of most stocks and mutual funds has dropped at least 20 percent. Corporate earnings in North America have been disrupted and are expected to decline in 1999. Although many market participants are in denial, all signs show a global recession is afoot, said Randy McDuff, a vice-president at Canadian […] Read more

There was a time when hemp fabric meant coarse weaves, dull colors and baggy cuts. But the textile has transformed itself, with help from some creative North American designers, into styles that can be worn by hippie or hipster, at work or at play. The haute couture of hemp was hot at a recent trade […] Read more

The young hemp processing industry hopes supply grows cautiously and slowly. Just as farmers have experimented with growing and harvesting methods, processors are using the trial and error approach in their methods. Geof Kime, an engineer with Hempline in southern Ontario, has developed a pilot-scale fibre separation process. But Kime told a recent meeting that […] Read more

Hemp hucksters have plenty of hype for the new crop on the heels of its first harvest. But some growers are urging people in the industry to curb their high hopes for hemp, a crop touted for its myriad uses. “It’s not a magic crop, it’s not a picnic,” said Rene Saquet, a seed grower […] Read more

Prairie farmers have grown record pea crops in six of the past 10 years. But this year, the magnitude of the record has some people wondering where the supplies will go. Technically, there are enough peas for two years’ worth of demand, said Brian Clancey, analyst with Stat Publishing Ltd. in Vancouver. Given what exporters […] Read more

A pasture where sheep once grazed near the University of Manitoba may soon be roamed by a white-coated animal of a different breed. The university hopes to build a “smart park” in the old 108-acre sheep pasture where scientists could work together on new products and technologies. It’s the same idea as Innovation Place, the […] Read more

Agriculture ministers invited the industry to dinner here last week, and kicked off a trade mission of a slightly different flavor. Snapping in the wind outside the downtown hotel were both Canadian and American flags, reminders of the two-week trade skirmish prompting the meeting. But Asian stir-fry served on a bed of vermicelli noodles was […] Read more

Farmers have taken off the biggest canola crop ever and placed it into a market made jumpy by unprecedented global financial pressures. But analysts say strong demand has made the crop a star in a sea of losers this fall. Canola prices have fallen from last year’s levels and tumbled somewhat since spring. Yet analysts […] Read more

A company known for its stake in a large network of hog barns and feed mills in Manitoba may help build what could be the largest dairy barn in the province. The Puratone Corporation of Niverville, Man., is working with a group of at least six dairy farmers who are considering merging their quota and […] Read more

Wheat and barley price forecasts continue to march steadily downward with little hope for a better outlook. In its latest pool return outlook, the Canadian Wheat Board moved all prices lower. The lower price outlook included the slight strengthening of the Canadian dollar. Particularly hard hit were lower-quality classes of wheat, which dropped $10 to […] Read more