It’s possible that Canada has thrown away its grain quality advantage and farmers don’t even know it. It’s not yet clear that this is happening, but producers need to wake up and demand that all parts of the grain industry ensure Canada’s hard-won reputation is maintained. Farmers need to know what customers think about the […] Read more
Tag Archives Grain — page 2
Better wheat basis surprises analysts
Milling wheat | Price rally for high quality grain is expected to continue following poor 2014 harvest
The basis for top quality spring wheat has tightened in a big way and likely has further to go, say analysts. “We’re seeing as high as $22 a tonne over Minneapolis futures,” said Derek Squair, president of Agri-Trend Marketing. That is a far cry from the mid-winter lows for No. 1 Canada Western Red Spring […] Read more
USDA report fails to lift market
Corn, soy prices fall | Lower global wheat ending stocks estimate helps lift wheat
The markets were fed moderately tasty bull feed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Oct. 10 report, but a bear came out and ate it. That’s how some analysts looked at the United States Department of Agriculture World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates. The report posted U.S. production numbers and ending stocks that were seen […] Read more
U.S. officials want railways’ commitment
Rail service | American Senate hearings will probe backlogs and disruptions
A committee of U.S. senators was scheduled to begin hearings Sept. 10 on rail service issues affecting the transportation of grain and other American agricultural products. Republican senator John Thune from South Dakota said the hearings will look at grain car backlogs and other service disruptions that have affected farmers in South Dakota and neighbouring […] Read more
Manufacturers help fix vexing grain bag problem
Tighter rolling a major help | Manufacturers are responding to demands from farmers who are tired of the mess
Nobody likes seeing wads of spent grain bags piling up along the bush line or in dugouts, especially farmers. The more producers use grain bags to store bumper crops or as an alternative to permanent grain storage structures, the more piles of bags they create, says Curtis Chapman of Canadian Tarpaulin Manufacturers in Saskatoon. “Grain […] Read more
Heavy ice delays start of shipping season
Shipping underway | Grain terminals near capacity at Port of Thunder Bay as shipping season starts almost a month late
The 2014 shipping season at the Port of Thunder Bay is officially underway. The first grain ship of the season arrived at Thunder Bay, Ont., April 22, three or four weeks later than normal, said Tim Heney, the port’s chief executive officer. MV Algoma Enterprise docked at Richardson’s Current River Terminal and was loaded with […] Read more
Moroccan millers trained in Canada
Education initiative | Moroccan government funds effort to diversify workforce
As the Moroccan milling industry develops, so do the Moroccan women within it, says a group of them recently training at the Canadian International Grains Institute. For example, Houda Bouddou was the only woman working at her durum mill 10 years ago, “but now there are 10 of us. Nowadays there is no difference between […] Read more
Large prairie crops will test grain handling system
Delivery problems | Big haul expected to result in congestion
A bumper harvest will put added pressure on Western Canada’s grain handling system and is likely to leave some farmers scrambling to find delivery opportunities. Saskatchewan agriculture minister Lyle Stewart says logistical challenges are nothing new to prairie farmers, but this year’s unusually large crop could present unforeseen problems. “This isn’t our first big crop […] Read moreJapan top buyer of Canadian wheat, barley last year
Correction: The original version of this story incorrectly identified durum sales in millions of tonnes. It should have said Morocco imported 792,400 tonnes of Canadian durum, Algeria imported 764,800 tonnes and the United States imported 538,500. Japan regained its title as the top buyer of Canadian wheat last year, importing substantially more than was common […] Read more
Canadian growers are missing key information
Data services | Producers should be receiving more detailed price and export sales data, says commission head
Canadian farmers have lost great grain market information, but few seem to have noticed. As well, prairie farmers have never had some of the crop and market reporting that U.S. farmers take for granted. It creates an information void in the post-CWB monopoly world that shouldn’t be left unfilled, but how to fill it is […] Read more
