MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — A canola breeder has developed a new trait that makes canola meal far more competitive with soybean meal. Until now, canola meal has traded at a 35 percent discount to soybean meal in markets around the world because of its inferior protein levels. Dow AgroSciences has spent the last 15 years developing […] Read more
Sean Pratt
Stories by Sean Pratt
Brazil’s new ports solving country’s export problems
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Brazil’s investments in grain transportation infrastructure are beginning to pay off. The country has long had the ability to produce huge corn and soybean crops, but it struggled to get those crops to overseas markets in a timely manner. Poor road and rail infrastructure and over-crowded ports slowed the pace of it […] Read more
Currency devaluation helps Brazilian farmers
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Brazilian soybean farmers are making money hand over fist. Growers are expected to average $117 of profit per acre in 2015-16. The profit is the margin over costs, but land rent costs were not included in the calculation. “We expect to have the largest profit on record, and that’s because of currency […] Read more
Canola growers welcome forecast for oilseeds
Low oil content in this year’s crops and changes in the U.S. biofuel mandate could cause soybean oil demand to surge
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — A leading oilseed analyst is bearish about soybean prices but bullish about soybean oil prices, which is good news for canola growers. “If soy oil’s (price) goes up, that’s a huge boon for any oilseed that has higher oil content,” said Bill Lapp, president of Advanced Economic Solutions. He is forecasting a […] Read moreCould El Nino spark Russian drought?
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Weather history suggests next year could turn into a bull market for grains and oilseeds, says a meteorologist. “Some of the things happening now are kind of eerily similar to what we saw happening about six years ago,” said Corey Cherr, head of agriculture and weather research and forecasts with Lanworth, Thomson […] Read more
Lentil crops poised to make top grade
Saskatchewan growers harvested a top-notch red and green lentil crop this year that will be easy to export
Growers harvested a highly marketable crop of red and green lentils this year, says a major processor. Analyst Stat Communications has a preliminary breakdown of grades with 12 percent of the crop making No. 1 and 59 percent No. 2 in Saskatchewan where most of the crop is grown. Moose Jaw based processor Simpson Seeds […] Read moreWill fertilizer prices rise next spring?
It would be wise to heed the conventional wisdom that fall is a good time to buy fertilizer, says Farm Credit Canada. An FCC analysis of the major factors that influence fertilizer prices suggests farmers should buy before the end of the year. The model concludes that fertilizer prices will likely increase two to five […] Read more
Protein levels ‘almost off the chart’ for wheat, durum
Sky-high protein levels mean farmers shouldn’t expect much in the way of premiums this year, say analysts. The Canadian Grain Commission says the average protein level for all grades of spring wheat is 14.1 percent based on 1,100 samples. The durum average is 13.9 percent based on 500 samples. “Protein at the present time is […] Read more
Soybean oil glut sends prices down
Slumping vegetable oil prices have been bad news for canola, says an analyst. Soybean oil futures prices have been on a steady downward slide since 2011, falling to US25 cents per pound from 60 cents. Large crops in the United States and South America, rising oil content in those crops and strong demand for soybean […] Read more
Coating responds to plant signals to release nitrogen
Chemical signals from the plant tell the coating to dissolve and allow roots to take up fertilizer
Canadian researchers are making progress on a smart fertilizer that could save farmers hundreds of millions of dollars a year. “The idea was kind of science fiction at the beginning and only over many years of research in the lab are we starting to get to the point now where we see this idea can […] Read more
