WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration will soon release a preliminary climate model for its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) subsidy program that is more restrictive than what the corn-based ethanol industry had expected, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Under the preliminary model, which could be released by May 15, ethanol is not […] Read more
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Global durum competition is heating up
Russia could drastically increase durum production this year, but could be shut out of the European Union market
SASKATOON — Canada could face stiff competition in durum markets in 2024-25 as Russia ramps up production. Rossella Polito, an Italian durum farmer who posts as @spiga_dorata on the X social media platform, said the Russian Grain Union reports that farmers will plant 2.47 million acres of durum this year, double the size of last […] Read more
Bird flu hits Texas dairy cows, hens, human as ducks migrate
REUTERS — The U.S. Center for Disease Control issued a health alert April 5 warning clinicians, state health departments and the public about a case of avian influenza in a person who had contact with dairy cows presumed to be infected with the virus. The farm worker from Texas was reported to be infected on […] Read more
Proposed fertilizer plant takes another step forward
The plant at Belle Plaine, Sask., would include technology to minimize its carbon footprint and streamline handling
REGINA — The proponents of a proposed fertilizer plant near Belle Plaine, Sask., have announced that a conceptual design study is moving ahead. Genesis Fertilizers and thyssenkrupp Uhde have partnered for this stage of the development, which is the pre-front end engineering and design. The plant is expected to produce about 1,500 tonnes per day […] Read more
Global interest still strong in farmland purchase
WINNIPEG — With 154 million acres, Canada has a decent share of the world’s crop and pasture land. Canada also has stable governments, reliable laws and a favourable climate for growing crops and raising livestock. But Canada isn’t a destination of choice for global money managers who want to invest in agricultural land, says a […] Read more
Crop market keeps watchful eye on spring weather
In the first half of March, a modest rally in the grain futures lifted prices off what appears to have been the seasonal low, but traders seem reluctant to drive prices significantly higher. A month ago I wrote about the search for a trigger that would spark a short-covering rally. It seems that the big […] Read more
Farm decisions: Some rational, some irrational, but all are important
Farmers don’t farm according to theory. Their decisions are based upon a multitude of factors that are hard for anybody to separate, let alone devise an easily applied formula or theory. Little goes “according to Hoyle,” as the saying goes. It’s wonderful that there are economists and analysts to provide theoretical tools, mathematical formulae and […] Read more
Louis Dreyfus upbeat about Chinese demand
Chief executive officer says Asian country’s economic rebalancing shouldn’t affect its demand for agricultural products
PARIS (Reuters) — Louis Dreyfus Company remains positive about Chinese demand as a source of growth for agricultural markets, despite rebalancing in other parts of the Asian nation’s economy, the chief executive officer of the global commodity merchant said March 21. China is the world’s biggest buyer of farm goods, but slowing economic growth and […] Read more
Changing farm landscapes raise numerous questions
Our story last week about a mega farmer using bulldozers to convert thousands of Manitoba acres of pasture into cropland touched on a lot of hot button issues. It generated some healthy discussion across online forums. Some wondered why this was a story. On the face of it, a piece about a farmer clearing land […] Read more
Another $1 billion to refinance status quo won’t stop ag pandemics
When word came out of Texas on April 1 that avian flu had made another unwelcome hop — this one from a dairy cow to a human — the news seemed like an April Fool’s joke. It wasn’t. In fact, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI or bird flu), the quick-killing disease that has led to […] Read more
