Grain sector officials say the ag minister is saying publicly what others have been saying privately
Canada’s agriculture minister has abandoned all hope for completion of the Doha round of World Trade Organization negotiations. “I don’t think I’ll see it in my lifetime,” said Gerry Ritz. “I’ve been to too many meetings where everybody talks a good deal but nobody moves, nobody does anything.” He said it will be impossible to […] Read more
Sean Pratt
Stories by Sean Pratt
Sask. premier hints at hike in education property tax
Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall is contemplating rebalancing the way education is funded in the province. The education property tax is one of the plethora of programs under review as the province comes to grips with a $700 million reduction in oil revenues. “Everything has to be on the table as we work towards a balanced […] Read more
Revenue sharing cuts for Sask. RMs called ‘very last resort’
Saskatchewan’s rural municipalities learned today that “everything is on the table” as the province contemplates deep budget cuts due to declining oil revenues. That includes the Municipal Revenue Sharing program that distributes a portion of provincial sales tax (PST) revenue amongst urban and rural municipalities and northern communities. Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall told delegates attending […] Read more
US: Take countries to task over exceeding wheat support limits
PHOENIX, Ariz. — U.S. Wheat Associates says it might be time to take some of the top wheat producing nations to task for flagrantly violating their World Trade Organization obligations. India, China, Turkey, Brazil and Thailand have dramatically in-creased trade-distorting subsidies and are failing to report those subsidy levels to the WTO, it said. China […] Read more
Argentine sales could depress summer market
PHOENIX, Ariz. — A big wild card could depress soybean and canola prices this summer, say analysts. “One of my very good friends is probably one of the greatest traders in the world and he believes we are going to see Argentina release a lot of beans come June, July, August,” said Mark Gold, owner […] Read more
Spring rally for corn and soybeans?
Forecasts based on market history and stocks-to-use ratios indicate U.S. farmers should see slightly profitable prices
PHOENIX, Ariz. — History shows that a spring rally is coming in corn and soybean markets, say two leading grain market analysts. If they are right, it should boost all grain and oilseed prices. Bryce Knorr, senior grain market analyst with Farm Futures, said the corn stocks-to-use ratio is projected to be less than 13 […] Read moreBlack Sea wheat crop could beat expectations
PHOENIX, Ariz. — It’s too soon to be writing off the Black Sea wheat crop, says U.S. Wheat Associates. A story published in agrimoney.com last week said the European Commission’s crop monitoring unit had found the winter grain crops in northeastern Ukraine and southern Russia to be suffering significant winterkill. Russia’s farm ministry has indicated […] Read more
Approach to GM food labelling examined
PHOENIX, Ariz. — The U.S. agriculture industry is coming to the realization that there needs to be some form of labelling for food containing genetically modified ingredients. “It’s hard to argue with the notion that people have the right to know, consumers have the right to know,” U.S. secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack told delegates […] Read more
Canada’s wheat grading system irks U.S. growers
PHOENIX, Ariz. — Canadians need to look at how they treat U.S. wheat before they get too high and mighty about U.S. country-of-origin labelling, says U.S. Wheat Associates. “I would suggest that what Canada is doing with requiring origin labelling of U.S. wheat going into Canada is a very similar situation in reverse,” USW president […] Read more
Ability to store grain provides leverage
PHOENIX, Ariz. — American farmers have significantly increased their grain storage capacity, which is allowing them to become patient crop sellers, says U.S. Wheat Associates. Growers and commercial handlers built more than 117 million tonnes of new storage from 2004-14 for an 18 percent increase in total capacity. That is equal to about two full […] Read more
