BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) — Argentina’s recently planted 2013-14 wheat crop has seen uneven rains, with healthy rainfall in southern parts of the wheat belt but dry conditions beginning to hurt more farms further north, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said in its weekly Thursday report. Argentina is a major global wheat exporter, with most of […] Read more
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Rains uneven across Argentine wheat belt
Pulse project almost complete
Grain and canola in plans | Company says the expansion in Dafoe, Sask., is just the beginning
BroadGrain Commodities Inc. is putting the final touches on an expansion project at its pulse and special crops processing plant in Dafoe, Sask. The trading company bought the plant from Lakeside Global Grains Inc. in 2011 and has invested $2.9 million over the last four months to double the plant’s storage and handling capacity and […] Read more
Timber continues to stand tall
CLEARWATER COUNTY, Alta. — The timber industry is a big part of the Alberta economy, and the public is able to get a close look at it by visiting the Des Crossley demonstration forest. The 160 acre site was established in 1951 by forestry researcher Des Crossley in Clearwater County in west-central Alberta. The intent […] Read more
Alberta government urged to make plans to avert next major flood
Variable climate | Land planner says some decisions will be difficult and must involve all levels of government and the public
Brad Stelfox was travelling on the Danube River studying the effects of flooding in Europe when he received a phone call from his son in Calgary June 20. The police had given him 10 minutes to evacuate the family home in Sunnyside, an inner city Calgary community hard hit by flooding. The flooding of the […] Read more
Northern producers struggle with elk problems
Feed losses costly | There are also reports of elk killing horses and ruining bales in farmers’ yards.
SPIRIT RIVER, Alta. — Tony and Pat Evans say herds of rampaging elk have left them with no options but to sell their horses. The couple from northwestern Alberta say they have fought off elk that eat their hay, smash their fences and kill their animals for more than 12 years. “We’re going to have […] Read more
Wasp eager to take on cereal leaf beetle
Wheat, oats and barley affected | Agriculture Canada says biological control is the best method
Growers concerned about the appearance of cereal leaf beetles in their region are advised to tread lightly. In most cases, growers shouldn’t turn to chemical controls, says Hector Carcamo, an Agriculture Canada research scientist who is working with one of the pest’s natural predators, a wasp that has been found to keep pest numbers in […] Read more
Forecasters point to frost striking in early September
Could prove disastrous | It’s not a sure thing but conditions are right
Farmers’ worst fears may be realized this fall. Weather forecasters are calling for an early frost, which could cause massive downgrading for what is shaping up to be an above-average although significantly delayed crop. “I do think we are going to see an earlier-than-normal frost and freeze across many parts of the region, even though […] Read moreBad habits formed in good times difficult to change in bad
I participated in an excellent discussion this summer about the recent good times in farming, including what was observed as being both the positive and not-so-positive outcomes. The discussion took place during the International Farm Management Association Congress in Poland in July. Close to 200 people attended, representing 37 countries, including nearly 20 Canadians. The […] Read more
Nova Scotia dairy vote preserves cap harmony
An overwhelming decision by Nova Scotia dairy farmers to maintain the $25,000 cap on quota value will have national repercussions, says an industry official. “It was a decisive decision, an overwhelming statement, that I think puts the issue behind us,” said Dairy Farmers of Nova Scotia general manager Brian Cameron. “I think it reaffirms the […] Read more
Maple Leaf reduces debt, focuses on food sector
Sells rendering, biodiesel division | The company plans to spend $500 million on meat plants and distribution centres
Maple Leaf Foods is selling its meat rendering and biodiesel business to pay down debt and invest in its prepared meat business. The company announced late last week that it had sold Rothsay to Darling International, a rendering and food recycling company in Texas, for $645 million. “The sale of our rendering and biodiesel business […] Read more
