The canola-based biodiesel industry may be over-hyped, according to the author of a study exploring the economics of various biodiesel feedstocks. “There should be some caution in terms of the hype that is being laid out for biodiesel in terms of saving the western oilseed industry or solving the farm income problems,” said Al Mussell, […] Read more
Sean Pratt
Stories by Sean Pratt
Wheat board delves into organic wheat
The Canadian Wheat Board is launching an organic grain pool, wading into waters where some farmers feel it has no right to swim. New delivery contracts for organic milling wheat will be unveiled in the 2006-07 crop year. A feed wheat contract may follow depending on how the coming crop turns out. For the inaugural […] Read more
Local biofuel development urged
New diesel fuel regulations should pave the way for more biodiesel manufacturing, says a new entrant to the field. Canada has adopted legislation requiring the sulfur limit of on-road diesel fuel to decrease to 15 milligrams per kilogram, down from the present level of 500 mg per kg. The new rules took effect for the […] Read more
Grain giants set to spend money
After years of ditching assets and chipping away at debt, Canada’s two largest grain handling companies are talking expansion, a drastic change in philosophy that has been met with cautious optimism by those who follow the industry. Financial analysts say it is the logical tack for Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and Agricore United to be taking […] Read more
Odd BSE findings spark theories
Researchers have identified a new strain of BSE that could explain how patient zero first developed the disease in Britain. Two of the three cattle cases of BSE that have been identified in the United States are different than the classic cases that have occurred in Canada and Britain. The abnormal prion proteins found in […] Read more
Doubt cast on grain-based ethanol
The future of ethanol is in processing fibres, not grains, according to an extensive report on biofuel prepared by an environmental research firm. “The long-term potential of biofuels is in the use of non-food feedstock that include agricultural, municipal and forestry wastes, as well as fast-growing, cellulose-rich energy crops such as switchgrass,” said the Worldwatch […] Read more
Organic wheat heads to U.S. market
Surging demand for organic meat and dairy products in the United States is helping mop up a surplus of poor quality Canadian organic wheat. “I’m hearing from several guys that the feed market is really booming,” said Debbie Miller, Canadian manager of the Organic Crop Improvement Association. She said semi-loads of low-protein wheat from the […] Read more
Some farmers miss ammonium nitrate
Calls for an outright ban on the sale of ammonium nitrate are over-the-top, says the Canadian Fertilizer Institute. Current practices and proposed new government regulations will make it difficult for potential terrorists to get their hands on the dangerous farm chemical, said institute spokesperson Susan Sykes. While there have been media reports and other rumblings […] Read more
JRI considers suing commission
One of Canada’s leading agribusinesses is contemplating suing the Canadian Grain Commission after the Federal Court of Appeal ruled it had been treated unfairly by the federal regulator. “We’re certainly going to have to consider that very seriously,” said Jean-Marc Ruest, assistant vice-president of legal and industry affairs for James Richardson International. In the fall […] Read more
Biofuel poses major risk to food supply: report
Biofuel has been trumpeted as the answer to some of the world’s most pressing pollution problems, but there is a growing concern that the rapid growth of the ethanol and biodiesel industries could create more environmental headaches than they resolve. A June 7 report issued by Worldwatch Institute, an environmental research organization, says biofuel production […] Read more
