A federal report arising from a meeting between federal agriculture minister Chuck Strahl and a select group of farm, grain industry, government and academic representatives, is calling on Ottawa to move quickly to dismantle the Canadian Wheat Board’s sales monopoly and replace it with an open market. The report states the government should create a […] Read more
News
Report urges end to CWB monopoly
Competition grows heated for wheat board grains
Grain companies are competing hard for the chance to move grain under the Canadian Wheat Board’s tendering program early in the 2006-07 crop year. In the past couple of years, low quality crops resulted in modest bids and periods in which the board actually had to pay premiums to grain shippers to ensure grain was […] Read more
Slow start to CWB directors election
What if they gave an election and no one ran? Things haven’t reached that point, but as the Canadian Wheat Board director election officially got underway last week, no one had yet stepped into the ring to challenge the five incumbents seeking re-election. It’s still early days – the nomination period only opened Sept. 5 […] Read more
Peace farmers amazed at early harvest
SEXSMITH, Alta. – Harvesting tough, poor quality crops that are frozen into the ground or sprouted in the swaths is so common in the Peace River district that farmers are still amazed at the perfect harvest weather this year. Franklin Moller of Sexsmith, Alta., began harvest Aug. 20 and finished Sept. 5, the earliest he’s […] Read more
SWP boosts high speed internet
The days of dial-up internet may soon be a thing of the past for many Saskatchewan producers. The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and the information technology company VCom recently announced a plan to deliver wireless network coverage to more than 100 of the pool’s grain marketing and agri-product centres in Saskatchewan. The service is now available […] Read more
Agri-Coaches Corner/Crop Report
MANITOBA The cereal, canola and flax harvests are complete for most areas of the province. Yields are average and variable due to spotty rainfall during the growing season. Wheat ranged from 20 to 75 bushels per acre, barley 30 to 100 bu., oats 15 to 120 bu., canola eight to 50 bu. and flax 15 […] Read more
Amazon sells organics
Another large American retailer is getting into organics in a big way. Amazon.com has launched an on-line grocery store stocking 14,000 non-perishable food products, about half of which are either natural or certified organic items. The e-commerce giant joins the ranks of Wal-Mart and Costco, two other major U.S. retailers that have recently expanded their […] Read more
Energy, meat, manure and money – Special Report (main story)
Joe waves goodbye to Fred, the driver of the truck carrying his new high starch wheat to the ethanol co-op in town. Fred and his family have recently returned to Fred’s home town to live, lured by the jobs at the ethanol plant. Joe hopes the threatened rain holds off because the truck is supposed […] Read more
Finance Notes – BrettYoung unites brands
BrettYoung Seeds has consolidated its products under one brand: BrettYoung. Prairie Seeds, LiBred, Turfbred and Purebred brands will cease to exist. The products will continue, but they will be marketed under the BrettYoung brand. “In order to compete in today’s marketplace we need to be focused yet flexible,” BrettYoung chief executive officer Lloyd Dyck said […] Read more
Human limits and mini-mighty machines – Special Report (story 2)
It is going to be a hot one, Joe thinks as he finishes servicing his flock of new ag bots. Last year at this time, he could look forward to a sweaty day of field spraying, but this morning he has scheduled a meeting with his consulting agrologist to determine if there’s money to be […] Read more
