Durum market | Quality issues mean few farmers are able to get top prices at elevators
Durum at the elevator is worth $15 per bushel … and $4 per bu. … and $8 to $9 per bu. The value depends on multiple specifications that elevators and companies are looking at differently, say analysts in the United States and Canada. “It’s got to be perfect stuff (for top prices),” said analyst Mike […] Read moreTag Archives crops
Flood makes mess in Manitoba
SOURIS, Man. — Farms in this area are a mess. And that’s making this year seem worse to many local farmers than 2011, when most seeded zero acres. Farmers are generally stuck with two types of crops: rotten-looking seeded crops, some of which are OK and others that are saturated and drowned, and massive weed […] Read more
Spring brings déjà vu for some
Rain delays seeding | Southwestern Manitoba’s soggy fields remind farmers of 2011 conditions
For Rob Pettinger, 2014 is starting to resemble the forgettable spring of 2011. Pettinger, who farms near Elgin, Man., said 75 millimetres of rain have fallen on his land over the last couple of weeks. In a best case scenario, he won’t begin seeding until the last week of May. “We haven’t done anything. We […] Read more
Growers take sales online
New business model | Canadian companies allow farmers to conduct sales without brokers
Cutting out the middleman is an ancient business strategy, but two of the most innovative ways of doing that have recently come from tiny startups run by young Canadians. After a year of running their respective non-traditional marketing systems, the operators of Agriprocity and FarmLead say the farmer-to-user model is expected to become a bigger […] Read more
Resumed seeding eases weather risk to Black Sea harvest
KIEV (Reuters) — Thanks to drier weather, seeding of winter crops has resumed on farms in Ukraine and Russia, easing fears of a drastic drop in the winter crop in the region in 2014. Ukraine will only lose up to 1.2 million acres of winter grain sowings for 2014, sharply down from its previous estimate […] Read more
Growers find new uses for cultivator
Salford RTS 1100 | Lightweight machine for small seed crops can seed wheat
Matt Kremeniuk, who uses his Salford RTS 1100 to apply fertilizer, under-seed timothy and seed canola and barley, says wheat will be the next crop to be seeded using vertical tillage. After two years using the RTS 1100, Kremeniuk said light weight seeding rigs with shallow working tools are the obvious winners when it comes […] Read more
Reseeding rampant as winter wheat fails in western Manitoba
It was painfully obvious to Garth Butcher when the snow finally melted this spring that his winter wheat didn’t survive the dry fall and long, cold winter. He thinks most of the crop probably died before winter because his fields were virtually barren of vegetation in May. “We had large areas in our fields that […] Read more
Prairie soybean plant unlikely
Industry interest | While growing, soybean acres remain too small
There is little to no chance that a major agribusiness will build a soybean crushing plant on the Prairies, industry insiders say. Manitoba’s soybean acres have surpassed Quebec, and the province’s farmers are expected to grow a million acres this year. These developments have prompted producers to speculate if a company such as Bunge, Archer […] Read more
Lightweight flyer can give farmers a lift
Eagle-eye photos | New spin on precision agriculture gives agronomists an alternative to satellite imaging
WOODSTOCK, Ont. — Satellite imaging is an important tool for agronomists, but sometimes the clouds get in the way. “Satellites fly over five to 10 days. You get clouds sometimes. Then five to 10 days to get results,” said Felix Weber of Palmerston, Ont., who advises farmers on managing their land and crops. “Meanwhile, your […] Read more
Analysts say fall rally possible
Crop prices are down from summer highs, but leading market analysts think the slump might be ending. Most think the price highs won’t be repeated or exceeded this year, but some think 2013 could see a higher peak. “I think we have a fairly firm bottom in the grain markets right now,” said David Hightower, […] Read more
