BEIJING, China (Reuters) — China’s ruling Communist party has for the first time proposed to let land lie fallow in some areas to ease pressure on exhausted water and land resources while grain stocks are near record levels. China is facing severe water shortages and soil pollution after years of excessive cultivation and bumper grain […] Read more
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China increases fallow land to reduce huge grain stocks
Short lines want more cars
Short-line railway operators on the Prairies hope the Canada Transportation Act review will address key issues affecting western Canadian grain transportation, most notably the thorny question of car supply. “We are sure hoping that in the review there is consideration for the short lines,” said Perry Pellerin, president of the Saskatchewan Shortline Railway Association. “In […] Read more
Pedigreed seed acres increase
Canada’s pedigreed seed acreage was up sharply this year, according to figures compiled by the Canadian Seed Growers Association. The country’s seed growers dedicated nearly 1.34 million acres to pedigreed seed production, up from 1.17 million acres last year. This year’s production was the industry’s highest since 2001. Manitoba seed growers registered the largest year-over-year […] Read more
Dairy could struggle under free trade
Dairy farmers might have escaped immediate pain under the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but an assistant economics professor says they need to think about how they operate under new trading rules. They have reciprocal access but might not be able to take advantage of that, said Trevor Tombe of the University of Calgary. “Unfortunately for a lot […] Read more
Mosaic sees fertilizer sales dip
(Reuters) — Fertilizer sales look to slide through the rest of the year as greater shipments into key markets by rivals in Belarus and China boost competition, Mosaic Co. says. The world’s largest producer of finished phosphate products reported a bigger-than-expected quarterly profit, helped by cost-cutting. Fertilizer prices have fallen as the strong U.S. dollar […] Read more
Prof sees long-ranging benefits from trade deal
China has passed Canada as the United States’ largest trading partner, making trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership more important, says Sylvain Charlebois, a professor at the University of Guelph’s Food Institute. Trade is about leveraging commodities, he said. “If you actually start trading with a country, eventually that country will end up buying other […] Read more
Canada lags in research, ag innovation
Canada doesn’t hustle and put effort into marketing that some countries do, said participants at agri-food forum
OTTAWA — Lutz Goedde actually squirmed in his seat when he heard the question: is Canada a leader or a laggard in agriculture and agri-food innovation? But Goedde, who spoke at a forum on Canada’s agri-food future in Ottawa in early November, didn’t evade the question. “To be blunt … I do think Canada is […] Read moreTPP deal has good news, bad news
Early assessments of the Trans-Pacific Partnership text show dairy imports into Canada could be higher than expected. However, stakeholders say they need more time to examine the details. The text was made public Nov. 5, a month after the trade agreement covering 40 percent of the world’s gross domestic product and 800 million people was […] Read more
Ceres to handle fertilizer at Northgate, Sask., hub
The owner of a new commodity and logistics hub at Northgate, Sask., says it is on the verge of announcing a major fertilizer handling agreement that will substantially expand its revenues and grain sourcing capabilities. Ceres Global Ag Corp. president Patrick Bracken told a Nov. 6 conference call with investors that the company will share […] Read more
U.S. agencies press food makers on safety
Preventing disease outbreaks through tracking tools, including DNA fingerprinting, can help notify customers in a timely manner
CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — U.S. regulators want food companies to be more proactive in preventing food-borne diseases. They cite new data showing that multistate outbreaks, which involve widely distributed products, cause more than half of all food poisoning deaths, even though they account for only three percent of all outbreaks. The call to action comes […] Read more
