Louis Dreyfus Commodities has filed a level-of-service complaint against CN Rail with the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA). It may be one of many as other grain companies contemplate similar action in hopes of recouping losses due to poor rail service for grain this winter. Meanwhile, CN and CP Rail “have met the prescribed (grain-moving) target
Dreyfus files rail level-of-service complaint, others may follow
Grain is moving but the railways are the ones deciding where it goes
Fertilizer supplies tight
Rail problems this winter and two nitrogen plant breakdowns tightened N and P supplies
Tight fertilizer supplies might put the kibosh on some farmers’ hopes for seeding early this year, industry officials say. Poor rail service this winter and two nitrogen plan breakdowns have combined to tighten fertilizer supplies to local retailers. “Essentially we are behind where we’d like to be at this time of the year,” said Clyde
First annual Canadian Global Crops Symposium sold out
Canada Grains Council president Richard Phillips says the conference exceeded his expectations
The saying goes “build it and they will come.” And they did. The first, and what is almost certain to be annual, Canadian Global Crops Symposium, held in Winnipeg April 15 and 16, was a huge success, said Richard Phillips, president of the Canada Grains Council, the association that organized the event aimed at attracting
KAP leaders asked to be more vocal on livestock issues
Issues ebb and flow but producers like to know their organizations are paying attention to their concerns
Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) leaders have been asked to pay more attention to problems facing Manitoba’s livestock producers. “I’d like to see KAP try to create more awareness in the future when it comes to livestock issues and at least mention it more often,” George Matheson, Manitoba Pork Council’s KAP representative, said during KAP’s general
CWB building, buying spree continues
The company could cut its federal ties early
CWB’s multimillion-dollar building and buying spree on its path to early privatization continues with the proposed purchase of Prairie West Terminal and its four elevators for $43.13 million. And it’s not done yet. “Our aim is to ultimately have a proper network of port and country facilities and this is a very important stepping stone
Potato growers still negotiating volumes with McCain Foods
All three processors have cut some producers entirely forcing some out of production entirely
McCain Foods still hasn’t settled on the volume of potatoes it wants Manitoba processing potato growers to produce this year, even though planting is just weeks away. “We know there will be another decrease in volume though (from last year),” Dan Sawatzky, manager of Keystone Potato Growers Association Inc., told the Keystone Agricultural Producers’ general
Spring forecast calls for tight fertilizer supplies
But a late spring means more time to find alternatives
Fertilizer is in short supply in Western Canada this spring because of poor rail service and a breakdown at an Alberta nitrogen plant, says Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) president Doug Chorney. “The real thing you’ve got to do here is make sure you have your fertilizer in place and make arrangements with your dealer as
Manitoba grain starting to move to Thunder Bay, ships on the way
Farmers are being warned to get grain into proper storage before the ground thaws
Grain needs to be moved to safe storage before the spring thaw or it could spoil, warns Digvir Jayas, a grain-handling and storage expert at the University of Manitoba. It’s unknown how much Manitoba grain is stored on the ground, in machine sheds or silo bags instead of conventional bins. The good news is grain
KAP wants open railway running rights to spur improved rail service
Delegates complain about the historically wide basis on grain prices at their spring general council meeting
Two major western farm groups called on the federal government to increase competition in rail transportation last week by granting running rights on national railroads. The calls from Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) and the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association (WCWGA) came as the senior railway officials continued to publicly defend their performance and lobby against
Manitoba’s first glyphosate-resistant weed confirmed
The good news is, the weed was found at only two sites out of 283 surveyed last fall
Manitoba has its first official glyphosate-resistant weed, and as expected, it is kochia. But out of 283 fields surveyed last fall, only two were found with glyphosate-resistant kochia. Both are in the Red River Valley. “I was surprised about where it was found,” Bruce Brolley, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development’s (MAFRD) crops knowledge centre
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
