Roberta Rampton

Oat growers have caught a little bit of spring fever. The winter doldrums have hit the market for old-crop oats, so growers are looking at what’s left in their bins and are pinning down prices for the crop they want to plant this spring, say analysts. “For every two tonnes of new crop you’ll see […] Read more

Canadian growers could see a little price spike toward spring if U.S. buyers perceive they’re considering planting fewer oats this year. But whether the oat market budges upwards depends almost totally on the weather this year, says cash grain broker Todd Busby. There’s more than enough oats to meet U.S. processors’ needs right now, said […] Read more

The federal government has approved a $15 a tonne increase to the initial payment for most grades of durum wheat. All grades of durum except No. 5 will receive the payment. The increase reflects the strong world market for durum this year. For grain already delivered, direct deposits will be credited to farmers’ accounts by […] Read more

Local meat processors in Manitoba are calling for governments to be clear on what standards they want abattoirs to meet. The Manitoba Meat Processors Association wants a consistent set of common sense guidelines. The abattoirs have been under a voluntary inspection plan since the 1970s, said association president Jim Holmes. Manitoba Health hired federal inspectors […] Read more

Agricultural research has doubled since 1995 when the federal government slashed funding, says the top bureaucrat in Agriculture Canada’s research branch. Losing a third of its research staff to budget cuts was “a near-death experience,” said Brian Morrissey. But Morrissey told a recent Canada Grains Council seminar the matching investment initiative has put more money […] Read more

Manitoba farmers have a new kind of safety net. It’s the kind of insurance and income support that will come from new value-added products, new commodities and new ways of doing things. The federal and provincial agriculture ministers announced a $13.6 million research fund for the province on Feb. 2 using part of Manitoba’s safety […] Read more

A report commissioned by the Western Canadian Grain Vision Committee raises some questions about the way new varieties are approved for registration. Kurt Klein, a University of Lethbridge economist, studied the recommending committee process as part of a look at how agricultural research decisions are made. Klein also found the introduction of plant breeders’ rights […] Read more

Farmers who have been disappointed with plummeting fortunes of some grain markets in 1997-98 seem tempted to plant the rising stars of the past crop year. It paid to plant flax and durum last year, and the year before. But when making final planting decisions, analysts say farmers need to do careful homework on potential […] Read more

Analysts have a few tips on how to fine-tune a production plan with markets information: Agronomics come first. Crop rotations and anticipated soil moisture conditions should govern decisions on what to grow. “Some guys are going to have to plant for drought,” said Mike Jubinville of Pro Farmer Canada. “You’re not going to put canola […] Read more

The name sounds space-age, technological, scientific. But, as it turns out, the name of Monsanto’s new, improved Roundup comes from the minds of marketers, who ran it by about 500 farmers before putting it on jugs, flyers and brochures. It’s a name farmers are likely to hear a lot this spring as the chemical company […] Read more