AGT Food and Ingredients president credits turnaround to diversification
The move by a major pulse processor to diversify into the food ingredients business is paying off. Shares of AGT Food and Ingredients, the company formerly known as Alliance Grain Traders, were up 70 percent over a year ago as of early December. That is the best performance of the 11 North American food companies […] Read more
Sean Pratt
Stories by Sean Pratt
Federal gov’t to revamp security program
The federal government has tabled legislation that will transform Canada’s producer payment security system. Bill C-48, the Modernization of Canada’s Grain Industry Act, paves the way for the Canadian Grain Commission to create a producer compensation fund to protect growers when a licensed grain buyer fails to pay for deliveries. “That’s good news for producers,” […] Read more
New variety won’t flood market
China approves new Syngenta GM corn variety that previously hindered U.S. exports
China’s approval of Syngenta’s Agrisure Viptera corn gave the crop a little boost, but it is no panacea for ailing grain prices, says an analyst. Chinese vice-premier Wang Yang announced Dec. 17 that regulators had finally approved Viptera, a genetically modified corn variety that Syngenta submitted for approval in 2010. Syngenta commercialized the product in […] Read moreSask. reviews farmland ownership
Saskatchewan is reviewing its farmland ownership laws in an attempt to close loopholes that have raised the ire of producers. “We’re in the process of looking at our options right now and beginning to review the act,” said agriculture minister Lyle Stewart. Rick Swenson, leader of the provincial Progressive Conservative party, is pleased the Saskatchewan […] Read more
Are manure guidelines misleading?
Increased straw content in manure slows the release of nutrients, says University of Manitoba professor
Manitoba’s provincial guidelines for estimating the availability of nitrogen from solid pig and dairy manures are crap, says a soil expert. “Those formulas are way off,” said Don Flaten, a soil science professor at the University of Manitoba. “They overestimate the amount of nitrogen that these manures provide over the short term.” His comments are […] Read moreThere might be money to be made in manure, but it will cost you to transport it
It doesn’t pay to haul manure far, says an expert. Research conducted at the University of Saskatchewan shows that the break-even point for transporting nature’s fertilizer is less than 10 kilometres. The findings were based on three years of field trials with liquid swine and solid cattle manure applied to fields near Humboldt, Sask. “Our […] Read more
Feds to revamp payment compensation program
The federal government has tabled legislation that will transform Canada’s producer payment security system. Bill C-48, the Modernization of Canada’s Grain Industry Act, paves the way for the Canadian Grain Commission to create a producer compensation fund to protect growers when a licensed grain buyer fails to pay for deliveries. “That’s good news for producers,” […] Read more
Feds to revamp payment compensation program
The federal government has tabled legislation that will transform Canada’s producer payment security system. Bill C-48, the Modernization of Canada’s Grain Industry Act, paves the way for the Canadian Grain Commission to create a producer compensation fund to protect growers when a licensed grain buyer fails to pay for deliveries. “That’s good news for producers,” […] Read more
In Depth: Chicago ag markets summit
I was in Chicago in early December attending DTN’s Ag Summit 2014. I have been covering the event since 2011 and it is always takes place in Chicago, which has become my favorite city in the United States. At this year’s event Darin Newsom provided a bullish outlook for old crop corn, soybean and wheat […] Read more
Video: Views of a market contrarian
DNT analyst is bullish on 2015-16 corn, but thinks soybean could plunge to $5.60
CHICAGO, Ill.—Grain market fundamentals are ugly, but the technical charts paint a completely different picture, says a leading analyst. That’s what prompted Darin Newsom to title his annual grain industry outlook, “Here Comes the Sun.” “My way of looking at things is in complete contrast to everything that we think we know about the markets […] Read more
