A proposed crop interpretive centre in Yorkton, Sask., took another step forward last week with funding from the provincial government for a development plan. The ministry of agriculture contributed $10,000 and tourism, parks, culture and sport contributed another $10,000. Randy Goulden, executive director of Tourism Yorkton, said $20,000 was exactly what the steering committee needed. […] Read more
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Crop interpretive centre receives gov’t funding
Viterra opens office in Germany
Viterra has opened a new marketing office in Hamburg, Germany, to buy, sell, import and export grain and oilseeds in the region. A month ago, it opened a marketing office in Kiev, Ukraine.
New systems allow brokers complex option strategies
Complex options strategies can now be more easily attempted through Winnipeg’s ICE Futures Canada exchange. Brokers are now able to post both User-Defined Spreads and Request For Quotes through the ICE’s computerized system. It will allow users of the market, which is home to North America’s canola futures contract, to go beyond the simple options […] Read more
Former Sask. politician remembered for humour
Davey Steuart’s keen wit and dedication were remembered in the Saskatchewan legislature Nov. 8. The former Liberal leader and cabinet minister died Nov. 5 in Kelowna, B.C. He was 94. Flags were lowered to half-mast upon the news of Steuart’s death. Speakers from the government and opposition side of the legislature spoke of Steuart’s five-decades-long […] Read more
Unexpected fossil find
Lakeland College students and staff recently found a large tooth that could be from a Daspletosaurus, a large carnivorous dinosaur that once roamed southern Alberta and Montana. It was discovered during a field trip to Dry Island Buffalo Jump Park in central Alberta. The tooth was found in washed out material north of Drumheller in […] Read more
Farm sitting service has big plans
A database for farmers who need someone to tend their fields when they are away may not have wowed the investors on CBC’sDragon’s Den, but Frank Campbell remains unbowed. “I want this thing to succeed,” said the president of AgriConnect. “There’s such a need out there, and it’s such a good solid idea, dragons aside. […] Read more
Foreign potash buy bad for agriculture: Ritz
Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz says allowing an Australian company to buy Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan would have undermined Canada’s position as a global food industry player. On Nov. 3, industry minister Tony Clement announced Ottawa would not allow a $38.6 billion offer from BHP Billiton to buy out the world’s largest potash company, arguing […] Read more
Hedges cover cost-price spread
Farmers need to think about how carefully they cover their spreads. Do they randomly lock in prices for crops and inputs when they get the feeling they’re the best they’re going to be, or do they calculate the margins they need in the spreads and try to guarantee profit? It’s a worthwhile question to ponder […] Read more
Sask. crops 99 percent in bin
Unlikely as it seems, the Saskatchewan harvest is now ahead of schedule. Grant McLean of Saskatchewan Agriculture said 99 percent of the province’s crop was in the bin Nov. 1. That compares favourably with Nov. 1, 2009, when just 81 percent of the crop had been harvested. The five-year average for Nov. 1 is 97 […] Read more
Grain handler of the year
The Canadian Wheat Board has selected four grain-handling facilities for its Grain Handler of the Year award. The CWB depends on partnerships with grain companies to ship the wheat, durum and barley grown by western Canadian farmers. Inland grain shippers are selected for overall effectiveness and accuracy of shipments. Criteria for ocean-port grain terminals included […] Read more
