Unless some unforeseen geopolitical event transpires, lower grain prices will be the reality for the growing season ahead and that will have wide-ranging ramifications. South of the border, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is forecasting 2024 net farm income at $116 billion, down from $156 billion in 2023 and the record $186 billion in 2022. […] Read more
Tag Archives Hursh on Ag — page 8
Prairie crop profitability picture changes focus
According to a recent profitability analysis by Rayglen Commodities of Saskatoon, lentils have the potential to be a top money earner for the upcoming growing season while flax, soybeans and fababeans are at the bottom of the list. Changing price projections have altered the expected profitability for many crops over the past couple months. Saskatchewan […] Read more
Interoperability bill is a win for common sense
Many farmers are probably unaware of the legislation regarding the interoperability of equipment, but it’s a rare example of parliamentarians coming together to support a good cause. In simple terms, interoperability refers to the ability of short-line equipment manufacturers to have their products work on mainline machines. The issue came to a head with John […] Read more
Producer bucks the trend with a mixed farm
Mixed farms, which produce both grain and cattle, don’t get a lot of attention. In fact, you could call them an endangered species. For that reason, it was refreshing to see a presentation called Bucking the Trend at the recent Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon. The presenter was Duane Thompson of Tee Two Land & […] Read more
Best not to put off urea, phosphate purchases
Producers who haven’t yet purchased their urea fertilizer will want to do so before the second half of February. That was one of the recommendations from a Jan. 17 session at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon. The fertilizer market outlook was provided by Noah Bishop, a trader with ADM Fertilizer. ADM is a worldwide player […] Read more
Variety use agreements prompt spirited debate
At the Jan. 9 annual meeting of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, a resolution on variety use agreements, sometimes referred to as trailing royalties, received a great deal of debate culminating in a very close vote. While all the crop commissions do commendable work, SPG was the first checkoff established in the province, and the organization has […] Read more
Grain sector faces three big concerns this year
I wanted to call them elephants in the room, but that term applies to big issues no one wants to discuss. In this case, farmers are more than willing to discuss and even obsess about them. The agricultural input industry, on the other hand, would rather steer conversations in other directions. Big concern No. 1 […] Read more
Major agricultural companies change ownership
Acquisitions and mergers continue to change the face of the agriculture industry. A couple of milestone deals were announced just as the year came to a close. The sale of Bourgault Industries based at St. Brieux, Sask., is a blockbuster. The sale price is $640 million for this leader in seeding equipment and a pioneer […] Read more
North-south split developing for ’24 canola acres
For 2024, expect more canola than ever in the traditional growing regions, but less canola in southern areas of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Canola has seen a tremendous price drop in the past four months. Some analysts keep saying an upward price correction is coming, but the market continues to grind lower. While canola crush plants […] Read more
Refuting a common carbon tax argument
Is the carbon tax adding to food costs? Certainly, but not in all the ways purported. When an argument supports your point of view, sometimes you don’t fully scrutinize it. That’s the case with the carbon tax and grocery bills. Make no mistake, the carbon tax is bad policy. It isn’t significantly reducing Canadian carbon […] Read more
