Canada’s supply management agencies must work hard to make sure the system works well and is transparent in the face of continued public scrutiny, says the system’s watchdog. Laurent Pellerin, chair of the Farm Products Council of Canada, told the Chicken Farmers of Canada’s annual meeting in March that supply management agencies must deal with […] Read more
Tag Archives Ag Finance
Flexible, accountable system needed, says trade expert
Adding dozer blade to tractor can be controversial decision
Farmers who need a dozer blade at the front of their centre-articulated tractor have historically been at odds with tractor manufacturers. Over the years, there have been issues with the fine print, warranty, liability and a few lawsuits. Tractor builders say that a centre-articulated tractor is a pulling machine rather than a pushing ma-chine. Pushing […] Read more
GPS service expanded
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The rise of cellular corrected navigation tools has expanded the precision possibilities for producers. Trimble has added its version with the GPS and GLONASS enabled correction service, which the Colorado company calls Centerpoint RTX. Using the Trimble DCM-300 modem, the system delivers better than four centimetre accuracy in real time. The system […] Read more
Wildrose expected to triumph in Calgary, southern Alberta
The traditional strength of rural support for the Alberta Progressive Conservative party may be waning as the province heads to the polls April 23. “There are a lot of interesting dynamics in this election that we haven’t seen in a very, very long time in this province,” said political analyst Duane Bratt of Mount Royal […] Read more
Emerald Group gains market share
ADELAIDE, Aus. — Australia’s Emerald Group has quietly secured a major portion of Australia’s multibillion-dollar grain trade. The company, unknown to Australian farmers just 10 years ago, has already secured a 10 percent share of the Australian grain market. Chair Alan Winney would like to increase market share to 20 percent in the next few […] Read more
UFA restructuring results in profit, patronage dividends
Agriculture companies don’t usually get fired up about posting a small profit, but executives at UFA Co-operative Ltd. are elated with 2011 results. The co-op generated income of $3.4 million after two straight years of heavy losses. “We have come back from an $88.5 million loss to a positive earnings position,” said chair Jim Laverick. […] Read more
Farmers look to on-farm bins to boost marketing control
DELAIDE, Aus. — The sight of steel grain bins, once a rarity on Australian grain farms, is becoming as common as wool sheds and water tanks. Andrew Weidemann, a grain grower from the Wimmera Plains region of north-central Victoria, said the importance of on-farm storage has become more evident to Australian grain growers since the […] Read more
Farmers may lose export watchdog
DELAIDE, Aus. — The Australian government is pushing ahead with plans to reduce its role in regulating bulk wheat exports and monitoring access at export terminals. Later this year, the government is expected to eliminate Wheat Exports Australia, an agency that has widespread support among the country’s grain farmers and is viewed by many as […] Read more
Road supplanting rail shipments across country
MELBOURNE, Aus. — Australia’s rail network is showing its age and more and more, rail is moving a smaller proportion of the country’s wheat crop. In some areas, grain shippers are unable to compete for limited rail space with Australia’s booming mining industry, said Wayne Newton, a farmer from Dalby, Queensland. In other regions, rail […] Read more
Post single desk: Who controls the grain?
DELAIDE, Aus. — The elimination of single desk grain marketing in Australia has opened the door for dozens of new bulk export companies to sell Australian wheat around the world. But the country’s grain handling infrastructure is still controlled by a handful of large companies, say grain growers in the state of South Australia. And […] Read more
