Crop Management
Mexico is coming off a disastrous 2023 bean crop and it looks like the 2024 crop could be in trouble as well. “I’ve heard reports coming out of Mexico that some of the production is down to a bag per acre,” said Greg Ackerman, director of Michigan Beans and the United States Dry Bean Council. […] Read more
Crop Management
U.S. goes on canola oil buying spree
Canada’s canola oil shipments to the United States are booming as the country’s renewable diesel industry accelerates. Canadian exporters sent a record 2.6 million tonnes south of the border in 2022-23 and that number is expected to rise in future years. “We envision that trend continuing,” said Chris Vervaet, executive director of the Canadian Oilseed […] Read more
!["We're pretty confident there's going to be something in the [federal government's] Fall Economic Statement, but we'll see next week," said Ian Thomson, president of Advanced Biofuels Canada (ABFC). | Getty Images](https://static.producer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/17122957/biofuel-GettyImages-155419399-660x420.jpg)
Biofuel sector hopes for sign from feds
Editor’s note: This story was updated with a link to the federal government’s 2023 Fall Economic Statement on Wednesday November 22, 2023 – the day following its release. Canada’s biofuel and oilseed sectors will be closely scrutinizing the federal government’s 2023 Fall Economic Statement. They hope the Nov. 21 statement provides some indication how Ottawa […] Read more
Winter wheat crop gets off to good start in U.S.
The U.S. winter wheat crop is off to a good start. “For the first time in three years there’s a little bit of optimism,” said Kansas Wheat chief executive officer Justin Gilpin. Crop condition ratings show that 47 percent of the U.S. crop was in good to excellent condition as of Nov. 12, compared to […] Read more
New campaign promotes canola
Canola producer groups of Western Canada have launched their “Hello Canola” campaign to increase understanding of the crop outside the farming sector. “It’s a $29.9 billon industry that adds to our economy every year and 207,000 jobs in and out of farming,” said Lynn Weaver, who co-leads the initiative. “It’s really important for our economy. […] Read more
John Deere gives large farm special deal
Correction: John Deere provided a statement for this column, but only part of it was used. The column should have also included this sentence: “John Deere completed this equipment deal through our dealer channel.” It was a massive equipment deal, probably the biggest in the history of Western Canada. While a prime subject of coffee […] Read more
Soil-moisture management in dry times
Soil cores can be used to see if a field has enough moisture reserves to carry a crop, or if fertilizer rates should be cut
Prairie farmers who dealt with drought during the summer are now facing a soil moisture deficit in several areas as they cross their fingers for snowfall needed to help launch next spring’s growing season. Although precipitation this fall boosted soil moisture in some areas, “there’s definitely these pockets that have been extremely dry,” said Phillip […] Read more
Brantford plant supported harvest brigade
This is the second instalment in our series on the history of Massey’s Ferguson’s combine assembly plant in Brantford, Ont., as part of the WP100 Series. “The five years 1971-1975 saw unprecedented growth in the farm machinery industry. For Massey-Ferguson, demand in most markets exceeded production capacity in three of the five years.” Those encouraging […] Read more
Phosphate supply to remain tight
A lot has changed in the phosphate market recently, but in a way, nothing has changed, says an analyst. Earlier this month the U.S. Department of Commerce announced it was slashing import duties on product from Morocco. The duties were lowered to 2.12 percent from 19.97 percent, providing an incentive for Moroccan phosphate producer OCP […] Read more
Agritechnica update: Give a big shock to weeds
Farmers are being pushed to find an alternative to desiccants to burn down crops, as companies are increasingly leery of herbicides approved close to harvest. People have been shocking weeds with electricity for 100 years, but the return on the electricity invested and the technology required to do so safely haven’t always worked. Crop.zone is […] Read more
