Researchers at the Canadian Light Source think they have an answer for why some wheat varieties are resistant to fusarium head blight. The scientists used the synchrotron to examine the structure of the heads of both susceptible and resistant lines of wheat. “When we did the x-ray analysis of the internal structures we saw striking […] Read more
Sean Pratt
Stories by Sean Pratt
Canadian wheat carryout might grow
Grain analysts are beginning to think Canada will export a lot less wheat than Agriculture Canada is forecasting and that means higher carryout and lower prices. Marlene Boersch, managing partner in Mercantile Consulting Venture, has been tracking the Canadian Grain Commission’s export numbers and they’re not on pace to meet Agriculture Canada’s forecast for 18 […] Read more
Analysts say pea, lentil acres don’t make sense
Statistics Canada estimates for the crops are on the light side and some forecast a big revision in the June report
The pulse industry was taken aback by Statistics Canada’s first stab at estimating 2015 pea and lentil acreage. The March seeding intentions report released on April 23 calls for 3.83 million acres of peas, up one percent from last year and 3.35 million acres of lentils, an eight percent increase. That is a far cry […] Read more
Prairie growing season gets off to a solid start — mostly
Despite a few late snow storms, spring seeding well ahead of recent years, about on par with long-term average
Seeding was off to a terrific start across the Prairies until weekend storms halted activity throughout much of Saskatchewan and parts of Alberta. One storm delivered rain and snow across much of the eastern half of Alberta with a bulge between Edmonton and Calgary that extended to the Saskatchewan border. The other storm covered a […] Read moreEconomist disputes rising grain demand predictions
Study shows that as prosperity rises, demand for metal and energy commodities increases, but food remains steady
Farmers have been told repeatedly that the rapidly expanding global middle class will generate unrelenting demand for their products, but that may not be the case. “When it comes to agriculture, we don’t see much growth in demand,” John Baffes, senior economist with the World Bank, told delegates at-tending the Feeding the Global Middle Class […] Read moreVIDEO: Industry slow to defend GMOs, says ag minister
The federal agriculture minister says the first battle that needs to be waged in the war on biotechnology is with the media, but that skirmish isn’t going so well. Gerry Ritz is determined to combat the misinformation about the technology that is being spread in big city newspapers across the country. He spends “a disproportionate […] Read more
Analyst says healthy world supply will keep commodity prices low
Agricultural prices may rebound slightly next year but not to the boom levels of 2007-12
Commodity prices won’t return to their recent highs any time soon, says a senior economist with the World Bank. “We expect the weakness to prevail for the rest of the year,” said John Baffes. “We do see some recovery next year, but this recovery is going to be sporadic.” Prices for energy, metals and agriculture […] Read moreWheat growers worry as dust flies in North Dakota
Growers in eastern North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota have tossed aside their umbrellas and picked up their divining rods. The U.S. Drought Monitor says the region is experiencing moderate drought after a recent run of excess spring moisture. “It is definitely dry,” said Erica Olson, marketing specialist with the North Dakota Wheat Commission. “You […] Read more
Producer car loading sites sold
AGT Food and Ingredients buys the Saskatchewan company largely to get access to durum supplies
One of the world’s largest pulse processing firms is making its first foray into sourcing Canadian cereal crops. AGT Food and Ingredients has agreed to buy West Central Road & Rail for $22 million. The deal gives AGT five Saskatchewan producer car-loading facilities in Easton, Laporte, Lucky Lake, Beechy and Dinsmore. Each facility has 3,000 […] Read more
Expensive identity preserved grain fails to attract buyers
End of the CWB monopoly did not spark more IP sales, due to the hefty premium charged for handling
Carsten Bredin thought the end of single desk grain marketing in Canada would be the beginning of a new era of identity preserved sales of wheat and durum. He was wrong. “That was my expectation and we were excited by that,” said the vice-president of grain merchandising with Richardson International. “For many, many years we […] Read more
