At the end of December, the railways had about 35 per cent of the crop, which is low, Quorum Corp president Mark Hemmes admitted. He attributed that to price increases from both railways between August and October last year.

Railways weather winter woes

Grain shipments on track despite January cold blast

At the midway point of the 2023–24 transportation year, grain shipments are moving at a good clip. “In the last 12–18 months, we’ve seen some really good performance from both of the railroads,” said Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corporation, Canada’s grain monitor, at the Feb. 15 CropConnect conference in Winnipeg. “The exception was the



grain train

Grain shipments see smooth sailing on small crop

New Years cold snap the one spanner in the works, speaker says

At the midway point of the 2023–2024 shipping year, grain shipments appear to be moving at a good clip. “In the last 12–18 months, we’ve seen some really good performance from both of the railroads, said Quorum Corporation’s Mark Hemmes. “The exception was the last four or five weeks, and that was largely driven by


A sweatshirt displays the old Pool logo. The logic that compels a company like Bunge to integrate Viterra into its supply chain is the same logic that evokes nostalgia among farmers old enough to remember the wheat pools and action among younger farmers with the energy to do something about it.

Comment: The return of the Wheat pool?

The time might be ripe for a revival of Prairie co-ops

When Bunge announced its intention to purchase Viterra — the Regina-based grain handling subsidiary of Swiss mining giant Glencore — in June 2023, it represented another milestone in the slow but steady erasure of Saskatchewan’s long history with the wheat pool co-operative. Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, the once-mighty agricultural co-operative that became Viterra, is remembered by

A cargo ship is escorted by Houthi boats in the Red Sea in this photo released Nov. 20, 2023.

Ukraine’s grain export success tested by Red Sea crisis

Ukraine Black Sea route slowed by Red Sea turmoil, hampering trade with Asia

Ukraine has managed to boost its Black Sea grain exports to a level not seen since before Russia’s invasion, but the shipping crisis in the Red Sea poses a new challenge to the nation’s crucial agricultural trade. Kyiv’s success in replacing a UN-backed Black Sea export deal with its own shipping scheme has brought relief


A ship is docked for unloading at G3’s St. Lawrence River terminal at Trois-Rivieres, Que. (G3.ca)

St. Lawrence Seaway sees increased tonnage in 2023

The seaway saw the longest scheduled shipping season in history

Cargo movement through the St. Lawrence Seaway was up by more than 3.4 per cent in 2023 compared to the previous year, with nearly 38 million tonnes of cargo moved through the binational system, according to a joint report from the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLMC) and the United States Great Lakes St. Lawrence Development Corporation (GLS).

Harvested wheat being poured from a truck into a grain elevator.

P&H’s Glossop elevator to close

The elevator in western Manitoba shuts its doors at the end of the month

Producers around Strathclair will be losing one of their elevators at the end of the month. Canadian-owned grain buyer Parrish & Heimbecker Limited has said it’s closing its Glossop location, set between Strathclair and Newdale on the Yellowhead Highway, as of Jan. 31. P&H’s crop input operations on the site, however, will continue unchanged, the


(Dave Bedard photo)

Viterra workers suspend strike to vote on new offer

Workers will be working to rule during the voting period

Today, Grain and General Services Union workers employed by Viterra in Saskatchewan said they will vote on the grain handling company's latest final offer over the next two weeks. Locals 1 and 2, representing country operations and head office staff, respectively, were set to walk out at 2 p.m. today if a deal had not been reached.

Signage on Viterra’s office building in Regina. (Dave Bedard photo)

Sask. union serves Viterra strike notice

Grain handling giant says its committed to negotiation, but has contingency plans in place

Yesterday, the union issued Viterra a 72-hour notice that they intend to strike as early as 2:00 pm on Jan. 5. GSU members from Viterra Country Operations and Maintenance and Viterra's Regina head office have been negotiating for "fair wages, improved work-life balance, and workplace respect," for more than a year, the union said.