Cashing out: The history of the cash advance in Manitoba

Cashing out: The history of the cash advance in Manitoba

Manitoba’s corn cash advance started 40 years ago followed shortly by canola

Corn was the first non-wheat board crop in Manitoba to qualify for the federal government’s cash advance program starting in 1981. Jim Pedersen, who was president of the Manitoba Corn Growers’ Association at the time, helped get the association incorporated — a prerequisite to administering the program that offers low- and no-interest loans to farmers

Oats. (Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Oats riding high with other crops

MarketsFarm — Increased demand, both domestically and overseas, has caused the price of oats grown in Western Canada to rise compared to last year. And so far, seeding projections and rising prices for other crops suggest the market for oats won’t go down anytime soon. According to Prairie Ag Hotwire data from Wednesday, high-delivered bids


Take a systematic approach to improving the ecosystems beneath your feet.

There’s a teeming world of diversity and complexity in your field’s soil

This soil ecologist says six principles can be applied to improve soil health

Soil is more than just dirt, a place where plants put down roots to grow seeds. It’s a complex ecology, teeming with infinite varieties of flora, fauna, microbes and minerals that provide both the raw materials and machinery to build crops and livestock. It’s a factory floor with a lot of moving parts and we’re

WGEA executive director Wade Sobkowich. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Allan Dawson)

Railways to blame for terminal shortages, WGEA says

Grain handlers take issue with MarketsFarm report

MarketsFarm — The association representing the Prairies’ main grain handling companies says recent delays in loading vessels have less to do with the availability of grain and more to do with the railways hauling it to port. The Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA), which represents major handlers such as Viterra, Richardson, Cargill and others, raised


Manitoba’s newest grower group seeks the right blend of crop research and advocacy work.

MCA focused on research, but being pulled towards policy

While MCA doesn’t want to become an advocacy group, there are policy questions to address

Funding and directing research remains Manitoba Crop Alliance’s (MCA) focus — but there’s pressure for the fledgling commodity group to get more involved in farm policy. “Farmers have suggested that we need to be more involved in advocacy directly on their behalf,” MCA chair and Reston farmer Fred Greig told the MCA’s inaugural annual meeting

(WPohlDesign/iStock/Getty Images)

Klassen: Cold weather slows feeder cattle market activity

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged. Extreme temperatures blanketed Western Canada last week. Many auction barns cancelled sales or had limited numbers on offer. Buyers attended sales either in person or via the internet, which was supportive to the overall price structure. Many backgrounders and cow-calf producers delayed sales


(Dave Bedard photo)

StatsCan confirms canola stocks tightening

Wheat stocks also down from previous year-end

MarketsFarm — Solid demand from exporters and domestic crushers continues to eat rapidly through Canada’s canola stocks, which as of Dec. 31 were down nearly 24 per cent from the same date a year earlier, according to new data released Friday from Statistics Canada. The government agency pegged total canola stocks in the country as

A deal for Planters would be Hormel Foods’ biggest to date, the Wall Street Journal said. (Kraft Heinz promotional video screengrab via YouTube)

Kraft Heinz reported in talks to sell Planters snack business

Pandemic-based surge in snack demand wanes

Reuters — Kraft Heinz is in talks to sell its Planters snack business to Skippy peanut butter maker Hormel Foods for about US$3 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The deal could be announced as soon as next week if talks do not fall apart, the Journal


(Greg Berg photo)

Oat prices running out of upside

MarketsFarm — Oat prices in Western Canada have shown some strength over the past year, but competition from other crops will likely lead to an acreage reduction this spring despite the firm prices, according to market participants. Ryan McKnight, from Linear Grain at Carman, Man., had seen prices for the crop rise last fall, but

Canadian grain exports up 35 per cent on the year

Canadian grain companies continue to do brisk business moving grains and oilseeds out of the country, with movement of canola, wheat, barley and many other crops running well ahead of the year-ago pace. Crop-year-to-date exports of Canada’s major grains and oilseeds as of Jan. 17 came in at 26.4 million tonnes, according to Canadian Grain