Agriculture Canada is forecasting increased seeded acreage of all the principal field crops grown in Canada because of a return to normal seeding conditions and a reduction in summerfallow. Canola is forecast to again steal king wheat’s crown with 20.8 million acres, which is up two percent from last year. That is about the mid-range […] Read more
Sean Pratt
Stories by Sean Pratt
Considering fababeans as an alternative to field peas
One crop that Agriculture Canada didn’t talk about in its 2015 acreage outlook deserves a mention, according to the owners of two seed labs. “A very hot topic here is fababeans,” said Trevor Nysetvold, president of BioVision Seed Labs in Sherwood Park, Alta. Farmers are impressed with the crop’s standability and see it as a […] Read more
New variety offers protection against evolving clubroot
Canterra Seeds says CS2000 performs better than existing varieties, which are susceptible to new clubroot strain in Alberta
Canterra Seeds is launching the first hybrid canola that is resistant to the latest strain of the clubroot pathogen. CS2000 has intermediate resistance to the 5X pathotype that was discovered in pockets of one field in the Edmonton area in 2013. Canterra president David Hansen said growers will be able to buy seed in time […] Read moreFarmland board rules against investment group
Saskatchewan’s Farm Land Security Board issues a second decision that Skyline Agriculture Financial Corp. is violating rules for foreign ownership
Saskatchewan’s Farm Land Security Board has issued its second decision on a case that could transform the way land is bought and sold in the province. The decision reaffirms an earlier ruling that ordered Skyline Agriculture Financial Corp. to reduce its land holdings to the allowable 10 acre limit for foreign investors. Skyline is attempting […] Read moreRailways still fall short of shipper needs
Grain shippers have released their first weekly report on rail performance, and the picture it paints isn’t pretty. “Railways, CN and CP combined, have fallen short of shipper demand by slightly more than 11,000 hopper cars and approximately 200 box cars,” said Milt Poirier, a partner in QGI Consulting and author of the report. The […] Read more
Ag businesses decry red tape
In survey, farmers complain about inconsistent information, confusing forms and outdated rules
Farmers and other small businesses in Canada are wasting $11 billion a year on red tape, says the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Red tape ranked second only to tax burden on the list of irritants for the small and medium-sized businesses that the CFIB surveyed. It was No. 1 for the organization’s ag business […] Read moreU.S. group criticizes Russia’s intervention in wheat market
Kremlin’s actions caused short-term rally
U.S. Wheat Associates is lambasting Russia for export restrictions set to begin Feb. 1. That is when all Russian wheat will be slapped with an export tax of 15 percent plus $10.52 per tonne. At today’s export values, it will amount to a total tax of $60 per tonne. The December announcement of the new […] Read moreTight supplies may lift canaryseed prices
Analyst expects 20 percent more acres in 2015
Growers need to focus on only one factor when assessing the canaryseed market, says FarmLink Marketing Solutions. “The key question we think in the canaryseed market today is how much are supplies understated and is there enough supplies to service demand going forward this year,” said FarmLink analyst Alyssa Mistelbacher. Statistics Canada estimates supplies at […] Read moreRailways still falling short of grain shipper demands
Grain shippers have released their first weekly report on rail performance and the picture it paints isn’t pretty. “Railways, CN and CP combined, have fallen short of shipper demand by slightly more than 11,000 hopper cars and approximately 200 box cars,” said Milt Poirier, partner in QGI Consulting and author of the report. The exact […] Read more
Video: Fusarium poised to make seed a challenge to find
Seed quality is of great concern heading into this year, says the owner of a seed lab. “In 22 years, I haven’t seen a crop as badly diseased as what we have right now,” Discovery Seed Lab owner Bruce Carriere told seed growers during Crop Production Week. Fusarium graminearum is prevalent in all crop districts […] Read more
