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Grain handling

grain train
News

Railways in the spotlight as grain shipping season begins

A big crop is bound for export and there are doubts the railways can pull it off

By
Glacier FarmMedia – Another chapter in the great Canadian rail transport soap opera may be unfolding. The tempestuous couple — railroads and grain farmers — is on the cusp of another argument over harvest shipping. And there’s no alternative for producers. They’re locked into the relationship. Will CN Rail and CP Rail, which struggled to
File photo of vessels on the Mississippi River south of New Orleans on Nov. 5, 2017. (Dave Bedard photo)
Crops, Weather

Shallow Mississippi River expected to persist as dry winter hits U.S. South

River levels at historic lows this fall

By ,
Reuters — Low water levels on the Mississippi River are likely to persist this winter as drier-than-normal weather is expected across the southern U.S. and Gulf Coast, U.S. government forecasters said on Thursday. Drought, which currently spans 59 per cent of the country, is expected to continue or worsen in the middle and lower Mississippi
“These regulatory updates have been made to reflect and keep pace with the current operational realities of grain handling and delivery in Canada.” – Canadian Grain Commission.
News

Grain commission changes advance grading dispute timeline

Producers have a week to ask the CGC to intervene if they want to challenge their initial grain grade

By
Grain farmers have a larger window in which to ask the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) for a second opinion if they want to dispute the grade they get at the elevator. The commission announced Oct. 3 that producers will have a week past their delivery date to ask that a sample be submitted to the
News

U.S. barge backlog swells on parched Mississippi River

U.S. grain exporters aren’t booking new sales due to uncertainties

By
Reuters – Commercial barge traffic on southern stretches of the Mississippi River was at a standstill on Oct. 4 as low water levels halted shipments of grain, fertilizer and other commodities on the critical waterway, shipping sources said. The supply chain snarl comes just as harvesting of corn and soybeans, the largest U.S. cash crops, is ramping up
Investigators answer to their own police chiefs at the railways, and ultimately to corporation executives, for whom profit and shareholder value are paramount.
Comment, Op/Ed

Comment: Railways a law unto themselves

Why major Canadian railways must no longer be permitted to police themselves

By
Major railways in Canada, alone among private sector corporations, have their own police forces with full investigative and jurisdictional powers over accidents on or near their property. These unique powers — a historic anomaly dating back to the 19th century when railways were being built across North America — have, until recently, escaped public scrutiny.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau views damage to lobster boats from Hurricane Fiona at Stanley Bridge, P.E.I. on Sept. 27, 2022. (Photo: Reuters/Phil Matusiewicz)

Trudeau tours storm-hit Atlantic Canada as power outages persist

Flooding may hit P.E.I. potato crops

By
Port aux Basques, N.L. | Reuters — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday started a tour of Atlantic Canada, where thousands were still without power after record-setting storm Fiona ravaged the country’s east coast, tossing homes into the sea and killing at least three people. Fiona recorded the lowest barometric pressure ever for a storm
In 2022, the Canada Grain Act is all that’s left of farmers’ heroic historic efforts to build and codify grain producers’ rights in Canadian law.
Comment, Op/Ed

Comment: Back to the future for grain regulation

Progressive Era origins of the Canada Grain Act are key to its future

By
Industry criticism of the Canada Grain Act (CGA) tends to portray the legislation as outdated and a bar to improved efficiency, which is grain company code for increased deregulation and privatization of Canada’s grain inspection system. While the CGA has proven an unreliable defence against reduced regulation, and private inspection has grown apace, accusations that
Aerial applicator Calvin Murray says finding workers for his business 
is a nightmare.
News

Farmers say no one wants to work. Experts say that’s not the case

Producers are struggling to find workers -- and so is everyone else

By ,
Aerial field sprayers are the fighter pilots of industry, swooping low and fast while dropping chemical armaments over fields. They’re used to avoiding obstacles including power lines, trees, buildings and vehicles. But some are facing a new challenge — getting chemical delivered to the aircraft. Calvin Murray, founder of Early Bird Air near Strathmore, Alta.,
A contract is more than an agreement. It is an enforceable legal document. If changes are made or a grower is unable to deliver, communication must be properly noted.  
Photo: AtlasStudio/istock/getty images
Grain Markets, Markets

Four things to know about grain contracts

MARKETING | Lawyers share practical tips for better understanding terms and conditions

By
Contracts are important grain marketing tools. While price may be a key reason why farmers agree to a contract, there are other factors to consider. Some farmers in Western Canada learned this lesson the hard way when they could not deliver on their contracts and grain companies could not source replacement commodities due to last
The grain terminal at Churchill is in good shape to resume operations, proponents say.
News

Long term future of Port of Churchill still in doubt

Funding for rail line is more about serving northern communities from the south

By
New funding has breathed new life into Churchill, but few are holding their breath about a return to the golden years of grain shipping from the northern port. “This is going to help keep the railway operating, at least for a while,” said Barry Prentice, professor of supply chain management at the University of Manitoba’s

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