It might be time to put away the stick and pull out the carrot in an effort to get better rail service, says Saskatchewan’s agriculture minister. “There needs to be motivation for the railways to operate without government having to tell them how many cars they have to deliver every week,” said Lyle Stewart. That […] Read more
Sean Pratt
Stories by Sean Pratt
Legumex Walker for sale
A major player in Western Canada’s pulse sector says it is open to selling some or all of its assets. Legumex Walker said its share value does not properly reflect the company’s inherent value, and it is time to explore alternatives, including strategic financing, mergers and sale of all or a portion of the company’s […] Read more
Sask. gov’t feels highway pressure at SARM meeting
Gary Gilbert’s grandchildren wonder why he never drives his 1935 Ford or 1939 Oldsmobile when he comes to visit them in Regina. “Because they won’t survive the first 20 miles,” he tells them. The highways in the Rural Municipality of McKillop where Gilbert lives are in such rough shape that he doesn’t want to risk […] Read more
Rain a concern for Indian crops
Wet weather has analysts watching for reports of damage to country’s pulse production
India has received an unusual amount of winter rain and there is more in the forecast, which doesn’t bode well for the country’s pulse crops, say analysts. An average of 28 millimetres of rain fell across the country from Feb. 26 to March 4, which is 358 percent above normal for that period. The winter […] Read more
High oleic soybean debut delayed again
Companies waiting for international approval
PHOENIX, Ariz. — The introduction of a crop that is supposed to reclaim the U.S. edible oil market from Canada’s high oleic canola has once again been delayed. The commercial launch of high oleic soybeans, which was originally planned for last year, has been pushed back to next year at the earliest because of a […] Read more
U.S. on board with low-level GM policy
Federal ag minister hopes Canada’s LLP policy will be ready for consultation this spring
It took the discovery of Roundup Ready wheat in Oregon to get the United States on board with Canada’s plan to develop a low- level presence policy for genetically modified crops. “We couldn’t really get (U.S. agriculture secretary) Tom Vilsack to commit one way or another until they had that Roundup Ready wheat scare,” said […] Read moreNext Growing Forward may stress value-added
Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz wants to see more money spent on value added processing under the next generation of farm programs. “The weak link in our whole system in Canada is processing, value adding,” he said. That is one of the key changes Ritz will be pushing for in Growing Forward 3, the next […] Read more
Election likely to derail Bill C-48
The looming federal election will likely derail legislation to change the Canadian Grain Commission, according to industry officials. A report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service said it is unlikely Bill C-48 will be passed before the federal election takes place, which is expected Oct. 19. The bill was introduced in the […] Read more
Hybrid wheat on the horizon
PHOENIX, Ariz. — The first viable hybrid wheat varieties should hit the market before the end of the decade, says a seed technology company. Syngenta has been making good headway on its hybrid wheat program, drawing on its experience commercializing hybrid barley in Europe. The company announced its intention to invest in hybrid wheat in […] Read more
EU moving too slowly on GM crop traits for U.S. farm groups
Although many traits are waiting for approval, the European Union hasn’t issued an authorization since 2013
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Approval of genetically modified crops has come to a “complete stop” in the European Union, according to 13 U.S. farm groups. The associations recently sent a letter to European health and food safety commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis urging that draft authorizations for 13 GM traits be considered for food and feed import without […] Read more
