In 2001, Serge Auray was watching a report on Britain’s foot-and-mouth outbreak, a horrific crisis in which 10 million sheep and cows were culled and then burned on pastures they once grazed. “I’m watching this and I say to my wife, ‘we can visit the moon but we can’t prevent the spread of this disease. […] Read more
Tag Archives Ag Finance
Crazy ideas can lead to great things
Weirdfully away – the markets act out deep, underlying issues, and get us back to where we started
If I was a trader with a big open position, I wouldn’t feel like this. If I was a farmer with full bins of unpriced crops or lots of unhedged crops growing in the field growing in the field, I wouldn’t feel like this. But since I’m just an ink-stained scribbler, I can admit to […] Read more
New players join the grain race
With a new grain marketing era beginning Aug. 1, companies are jockeying for position to gain a larger share of the western Canadian grain trade. Several international grain traders have recently opened or expanded operations in Canada while established Canadian Winnipeg-based companies such as Parrish & Heimbecker, Paterson Grain and Richardson International are increasing capacity, […] Read more
The race is on! Drought vs Demand Destruction
So who’s going to win the race between the drought ravaging Midwest crops and the highish prices killing demand? That’s the questions getting thrashed out right now in the markets, with two major factors pulling on prices from opposite directions. The USDA this morning released its World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, and at first […] Read more
Grain commission changes move one step closer
Services and responsibilities | Inspection of grain cars coming to port will cease, but the CGC will handle disputes
REGINA — Grain quality and farmer protection will remain part of the Canadian Grain Commission mandate, but the way its work is done, who pays and how much will change. The commission will see significant changes over the next year as a part of the federal government’s budget reductions for 2013. Commissioner Elwin Hermanson told […] Read morePastures need rest to recuperate: experts
What to bale graze? | Forage specialists share recommendations on pasture management
Darrel and Peggy Walker like their cattle to spend as much time in the pasture as possible. And an open tract of land immediately outside their ranch’s headquarters near Langham, Sask., is a perfect spot for calving, providing the couple with an optimal view of their animals and easy access to on-farm facilities. However, the […] Read moreCartilage often called lazy but it provides body foundation
“There is nothing lazier than a cartilage cell; they just sit there,” quips a colleague in response to my comment on the beauty of these cells. I’m looking through a microscope at a thin cross-section of a rat’s head, including brain, bone, teeth, and a stunning piece of cartilage. I contemplate this comment. We all […] Read more
Mine could use sewage effluent
If the Western Potash Corp. solution mine proposed for Milestone, Sask., goes ahead, it could use treated sewage effluent from the City of Regina. The two parties announced an agreement June 25 that would see the effluent piped 30 kilometres southeast of Regina and used to extract potash. The project would divert 60,000 cubic metres […] Read more
Research projects get $550,000
Federal and provincial agriculture ministers recently announced research funding of almost $550,000 for 66 producer-led projects in Saskatchewan. The money was allocated under the Agricultural Demonstration of Practices and Technologies Program (ADOPT). The focus of this program is to help farmers test new methods and technologies to see how they work in their own regions. […] Read more
Czechs find much to praise at Farm Progress Show
Canada’s Farm Progress Show is known for attracting farm equipment buyers from around the world. Among the more than 640 international visitors it attracted this year was a group from Czech Republic, who attended for the first time. The three — Miroslav Andel, Martin Divis and Jirina Pospisilova — represent a farm company called ADW, […] Read more
