It’s round two for Prairie Pasta Producers on a couple of fronts. The new generation co-op is taking another crack at buying shares in an American pasta firm, which may prompt a second confrontation with the Canadian Wheat Board. Prairie Pasta has the option to buy three million D-series shares in Dakota Growers Pasta Co. […] Read more
Sean Pratt
Stories by Sean Pratt
Farmer pushes for biological inputs
Instead of relying on synthesized chemicals and fertilizers, a Saskatchewan farmer says he and his colleagues should start using tools that Mother Nature provides for free. That’s what farmers are doing in impoverished countries where they can’t afford to buy expensive inputs, said Larry Marshall of Shellbrook, Sask., who recently returned from an agricultural exchange […] Read more
Fuel costs on the rise
Fuel prices are approaching record highs as farmers head into the time of year when they’ll be going through tanks of diesel. According to a March outlook produced by the United States Energy Information Association, North American consumers this summer will see the highest inflation-adjusted gasoline prices since 1985. Jason Toews, co-founder of Gasbuddy Organization, […] Read more
Pasta plan back, but not all keen
Perry MacKenzie was in a festive March mood, having literally moved from the dentist’s chair to the ice cream shop. With his tooth appointment behind him and his pasta project making the transition from simmer to a rolling boil, it was time for a DQ Blizzard. “I’m just at the Dairy Queen here celebrating this,” […] Read more
Truckers not benefiting from CN Rail strike
The strike at CN Rail is not a boon for the trucking industry, says a senior executive of a large prairie-based firm. Instead, it is causing a logistical nightmare. “The sooner CN gets back on track the better we’ll all be,” said Scott Johnston, president and chief executive officer of Saskatoon’s Yanke Group of Companies. […] Read more
FCL urged by delegates to get into meat industry
The largest co-operative in Canada is considering getting into the meat packing business. Over the next few months, Federated Co-operatives Ltd. will explore the feasibility of adding a slaughter or processing facility, or both, to its $1.45 billion asset base. The feasibility study stems from a resolution put forward by the Olds Co-operative Association Ltd. […] Read more
Canadian peas crack market in South Korea
Canadian officials are slowly dismantling feed pea barriers in Asia hoping to create a new market that could eventually rival Europe. Working closely with Canadian embassy officials, Pulse Canada has convinced South Korea to drastically reduce its tariff on the feed ingredient. Instead of a 30 percent tariff on all exports, Canadian feed pea shippers […] Read more
U.S. expects more dry beans despite prices
Despite “strong market disincentives,” the United States Department of Agriculture expects a 10 percent increase in U.S. dry bean acreage in 2004. In an outlook published on Feb. 26, the government agency gave no rationalization why U.S. acreage would rise, focusing instead on market factors that should be having the opposite effect. Sluggish prices for […] Read more
Farm input sales boost fortunes at Federated Co-op
Federated Co-operatives Limited sold a record volume of crop supplies in 2003 and its momentum doesn’t appear to be abating. Retail sales for the first quarter of 2004, to the end of January, are higher than the same period last year, said FCL president Dennis Banda. But it’s the next two quarters that count. “Overall, […] Read more
Vegetables keep bottom line healthy
During the 1990s the Plummer family zigged while everybody else in the farming community zagged, a move that appears to be paying off. Instead of getting bigger and maximizing efficiencies, Moon Lake Farm downsized and became a more labour intensive operation. According to Statistics Canada’s Census of Agriculture, Saskatchewan producers increased their farm size by […] Read more
