Don’t expect any supply relief from Black Sea wheat, says an analyst. “We’ve got another bumper crop of wheat coming out of Ukraine and Russia,” said Mike Lee, owner of Green Square Agro Consulting. He recently conducted a five-day, 2,500 kilometre tour of fields in the main wheat growing regions of Russia and Ukraine. His […] Read more
News
Health Canada holds off on neonicotinoid ban
Health Canada won’t issue a final decision on whether it will ban imidacloprid for at least six months, says a horticultural industry representative. Last November, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency proposed to ban the use of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, because it was accumulating in water near agricultural land. That was reportedly putting aquatic insects […] Read more
Farmers can ‘relax, breathe deeply’
TORONTO — The United States doesn’t see big problems with U.S.-Canada agricultural trade, said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. But there are issues it wants to resolve. “I think there are just a very few issues that we’ll have on the table regarding agricultural issues with Canada, that I believe we can resolve with […] Read more
The new face of American agriculture
Meet Sonny Perdue. A veteran politician, businessman and farmer, the new U.S. secretary of agriculture has definite ideas about America’s role in trade and farm policy. What will this mean for Canadian farmers? Age 70, married with four adult children and 14 grandchildren. Born on a mixed grain farm in Bonaire, Georgia. Is actively licensed […] Read more
Experts question why organic growth is stagnant
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. — Michael Gertler wants to know why there aren’t more organic producers in Saskatchewan. The University of Saskatchewan sociologist, along with colleagues JoAnn Jaffe from the University of Regina and Mary Beckie at the University of Alberta, has questions about restructuring in the farm sector, particularly what could be inhibiting growth in […] Read more
Canada’s lack of organic testing ‘laughable’
With no testing clause in the country’s national standard it’s like trying to catch speeders without a radar gun, says former inspector
Canada is likely experiencing the same kind of organic fraud detailed in a recent Washington Post investigative piece, says a former inspector. The Post article outlined three cases where large shipments of conventional corn and soybeans were marketed as organic product upon arrival in the United States. One of the cases involved 16 million kilograms […] Read more
Ottawa seeks opinions on national food policy
Ottawa has launched consultations on the development of a national food policy. The policy was a Liberal government election promise and included in Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay’s mandate letter. MacAulay announced the consultations at the Canadian Association for Food Studies Conference in Toronto May 29. He said Canadians can have their say through an online […] Read more
Crop futures including canola rally on warm dry weather
It was an up day on crop markets but most grains closed well off their highs. Spring wheat again was strong on concerns about dry weather across much of the U.S. and Canada’s Prairies. July Minneapolis wheat rose almost 1.5 percent. Canola gained ground with new crop November up $5.90 or 1.2 percent at $495.50 […] Read more
Build your own handling system
Expanding your farm’s size has benefits when it comes to economy of scale. But just like higher grain yields, the higher volume can create a schmozzle with your grain handling system. Buying or renting new land nearly always means spreading the farm further afield. That can leave you with grain bins scattered far apart. Or, […] Read more
Small shops compete for big bin business
The bin industry is a crowded place. While large corporations dominate the bulk of business, smaller companies carve out special niches to create their own unique products. Two of those companies are Novid Inc. in Rosenort, Man., and JTL Industries in Neilburg, Sask. Since their incorporation in 2003, Novid has grown to become North America’s […] Read more
