Brian Hayward served as the chief executive officer of United Grain Growers and Agricore United in the 1990s and most of the 2000s. Hayward left the grain industry in 2007, after Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, soon to become Viterra, took over Agricore. Hayward no longer works in the executive office, but he still spends a great […] Read more
News
Malt barley offered crop insurance
Crop insurance for malt barley will be available for Alberta growers this year. The idea grew out of a resolution submitted to the Alberta Barley Commission in 2014 where growers argued coverage under commercial barley insurance did not reflect the risk to growers, said Jesse Cole of Alberta Financial Services Corp. There is higher growing […] Read more
Climate change research funded
Manitoba farm groups are taking part in a provincial program that looks for ways to reduce farm-related greenhouse gas emissions in the province. Keystone Agricultural Producers and the Manitoba chapter of the National Farmers Union are among the groups that entered new partnership agreements with the provincial conservation and water stewardship department Jan. 18. The […] Read more
Ocean shipping rates hit new low
WINNIPEG — The cost of shipping dry goods across the ocean continues to explore uncharted waters with the Baltic Dry Index now below 300 points for the first time. The BDI was quoted at 298 points Feb. 4, marking a new low since records began in 1985. The index was trading above 1,200 as recently […] Read more
Cash advance access changed
Amendments to federal regulations made a year ago are now in effect, giving more producers access to cash advances and simplifying the application process. Federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay said the program is more flexible. The changes in place under the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act for the 2016 program year make specific classes of breeding […] Read more
Financial advisers give it their best guess
The low dollar is supporting farmgate prices, but financial analysts disagree on where the loonie is headed
LONDON, Ont. — Canadian farmers are in the enviable position of being buffered, to some small extent, from the volatile world economic situation. That’s the view of JP Gervais, chief economist with Farm Credit Canada, and international investment adviser Donald Coxe who spoke here at the Ontario Processing Vegetable Industry Conference Feb. 2 and 3. […] Read moreCountry’s grain car fleet running out of time
The company that monitors grain movement in Canada warns the existing fleet will be off the rails by 2036
Canada’s fleet of rail hopper cars is rolling toward obsolescence. “By the time we get to 2036, the existing fleet is totally gone,” said Mark Hemmes, president of the Quorum Corp., which monitors the logistics of grain movement in today’s market. In 1985 the Canadian Wheat Board, federal and provincial government owned a hopper car […] Read moreFunding for roads a priority: RMs
The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities already had its financial wish list in front of the province before last week’s revelation that the government will run a deficit this year and next. But premier Brad Wall, speaking to urban municipalities, also said the province is committed to the revenue sharing formula of one percentage point […] Read more
ADM reviewing ethanol business
(Reuters) — Archer Daniels Midland is conducting a strategic review of its dry mill ethanol plants looking for partnerships or sale of assets. ADM, the largest U.S. ethanol producer, wants to shift its focus to developing new food ingredients as domestic demand for ethanol is forecast to remain flat over the next decade. Dry plants […] Read more
Food industry must build trust
It all comes down to trust, says the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. A forum last fall to discuss the future of the country’s agriculture and food sector boiled the talk down to the idea that trust is the defining issue facing those in food production and supply. A report issued last week suggests that Canada’s […] Read more
