Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall has thrown his support behind recently announced federal initiatives aimed at improving rail service for agricultural shippers. Wall told the 2014 Saskatchewan Agriculture Trade Summit in Saskatoon that a record harvest in straining the transportation system. He said the Saskatchewan government supports Ottawa’s efforts to enhance the grain-monitoring program and increase […] Read more
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Saskatchewan premier supports grain handling initiatives
Weeds not main yield killer in organics: researcher
VANCOUVER — Observation: organic crops have more weeds than conventional crops and organic crops yield less than conventional. Assumption: weeds cut into production, which might explain the yield gap between the two systems. However, Dilshan Benaragama, a University of Saskatchewan PhD candidate in plant science, said that assumption is false. “That’s a misconception. We think […] Read more
McDonald’s switching to verified sustainable beef
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — McDonald’s Corporation has decided to offer verified sustainable beef in its 34,000 restaurants in 120 countries by 2016. The McDonald’s vice-president of corporate sustainability said sustainable beef production goes beyond doing the right thing for society and protecting the environment. It also is paramount to staying in business, said Bob Langert on […] Read more
COOL unchanged in U.S. farm bill
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The U.S. farm bill has moved one step further toward passage when the Senate voted 68-32 in favour Monday. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the Agriculture Act of 2014. While the new bill offers spending cuts and reformed farm safety nets, there were no changes to the mandatory country-of-origin labelling […] Read more
Sask. ag minister to lead trade mission
Saskatchewan agriculture minister Lyle Stewart will lead a 12-day trade mission to India, United Arab Emirates and Morocco later this month. The trip begins Feb. 15 and representatives of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and SaskCanola will attend portions of it. The mission will include stops at the Punjabi Progressive Agriculture Summit, the Global Pulses Conclave in […] Read more
U.S. farm bill details
Feb 4 (Reuters) – A U.S. farm bill was passed by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday and sent to President Barack Obama for his expected signature. The legislation, which was approved by the House of Representatives last week, will cost an estimated $956 billion over 10 years, a savings of about $16.6 billion compared with […] Read more
U.S. Senate passes farm bill, sends to Obama for signature
By Eric Beech WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate gave final congressional approval on Tuesday to a farm bill, costing an estimated $956 billion over a decade, that trims food stamps for the poor, expands federal crop insurance and ends direct payments to farmers, and sent it to President Barack Obama for his […] Read more
U.S. wheat deteriorates after a brutal January
CHICAGO, Feb 4 (Reuters) – The condition of U.S. winter wheat grown across the southern Plains deteriorated during January as a combination of dryness and arctic temperatures took a toll on the dormant crop, according to government crop reports. In the top U.S. wheat state of Kansas, 20 percent of the crop was rated poor […] Read more
Dairy prices rise, volumes fall at auction -NZ’s Fonterra
Feb 4 (Reuters) – International milk prices edged up in the first auction this month, while volumes fell in the sale held by New Zealand’s Fonterra Co-operative Group, the world’s biggest dairy exporter. Fonterra’s GDT Price Index, formerly the Global Dairy Trade-Trade Weighted Index, rose 0.5 percent, with an average selling price of $5,042 per […] Read more
Farm machinery maker Agco forecasts weak demand for 2014
Feb 4 (Reuters) – Agriculture machinery maker Agco Corp warned of weak demand in 2014 due to reduced farm income and forecast current-quarter earnings well below Wall Street expectations. Economic uncertainty in Europe, coupled with a slowdown in demand from U.S. farmers, has weighed on Agco as corn prices continue to slide, pressured by a […] Read more
