The 2005 lentil outlook has market analysts, breeders and just about everybody else seeing red. When asked what lentil farmers should plant in spring, a three-person panel of experts at Pulse Days 2005 agreed that all things being equal, growers should pick reds over greens. The advice came with the caveat that producers should plant […] Read more
Sean Pratt
Stories by Sean Pratt
Clearfield wheat varieties hit market
One seed company has shelved its herbicide tolerant wheat but another is stocking shelves with bags of a new one-pass weed control system. Limited supplies of BASF Canada’s Clearfield wheat will be available to growers through Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and Agricore United in 2005. Commercialization of the product follows Monsanto Canada’s withdrawal of Roundup Ready […] Read more
Lentil deals to get easier
Representatives of dealer and grower associations are confident the release of two new producer contract templates will help calm the chaotic seas swelling in the lentil trade. In unveiling the new contracts at Pulse Days 2005, Agricore United pulse division manager Rob Tisdale said the relationship between Canadian lentil growers and buyers has deteriorated to […] Read more
Canada losing lentil ground in Spain
Canada is losing ground to the United States in one of its most valued lentil markets. Spain is increasingly turning to U.S. product as lentil production flourishes south of the 49th parallel. Marc Gagnon, commercial attachŽ at the Canadian embassy in Madrid, told growers attending Pulse Days 2005 that Spanish importers prefer U.S. Pardina lentils […] Read more
GM reach spreads to poor nations
While the spread of genetically modified crops can conjure up images of unwanted volunteer canola plants, there are times when it is something to be trumpeted by GM boosters. The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, or ISAAA, thinks 2004 is one of those times. Global GM acreage grew 20 percent last year. […] Read more
Grading change sought for lentils
The largest buyer of Canadian red lentils wants changes made to grading standards. Saskcan Pulse Trading Inc. says existing Canadian Grain Commission rules do not account for wrinkling and staining of kernels, two quality problems commonly found in Western Canada but rare in other lentil production regions. Company president Murad Al-Katib said wrinkling and staining […] Read more
Dry bean production lacks expected shine
A quick glance at the Pulse Days 2005 agenda shows scant mention of dry edible beans, a crop once touted as Saskatchewan’s “sleeping giant” at the same conference. In his 2001 Pulse Days speech Garth Patterson, executive director of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, told producers it would not be unreasonable to see 100,000 acres of pinto, […] Read more
More canaries needed to boost seed prices
Merv Berscheid offered up a nibble of canaryseed advice at Crop Production Week that had the boo-birds chirping. “If you can get 11 to 12 cents per pound on your canaryseed right now, I would be 100 percent sold out,” said the CGF Brokerage & Consulting analyst. Even though he deliberately repeated the phrase for […] Read more
Canaryseed checkoff likely
The Canaryseed Association of Canada is one step closer to implementing a refundable checkoff in time for the new crop year. Just over three-quarters of producers who voted on the subject at Crop Production Week gave their approval to establishing a levy, with 66 in favour and 21 opposed to the idea. If the association […] Read more
Ethanol plan delayed again
Saskatchewan is once again postponing its plans to mandate ethanol use in the province, leading one fuel industry executive to speculate that the industry is fundamentally unsound. Legislation requiring fuel suppliers to sell ethanol blends at the pumps was to be phased in effective May 1, 2005. The plan was to start with a two […] Read more
