CNS Canada — A shutdown at Agrium’s nitrogen facility at Carseland, Alta. is threatening to slow down what was already a troubled shipping-schedule of fertilizer supplies across Western Canada. The N plant suffered a failure of its auxiliary boiler in late March. The facility isn’t expected to restart production until the second half of May.
Prairie fertilizer supplies getting even more scarce
Rising crop volumes pose stiff challenges for exports
Winnipeg | CNS Canada — New strategies are going to be needed if Canada’s grain, pulse and oilseed crop sectors want to meet growing global food demand. That was one of the main themes circulating through the first day of presentations here at the inaugural Canadian Global Crops Symposium. Representatives from the pulse, canola, cereals
Sunflowers seen enjoying another strong season
CNS Canada — Stable prices, generally good growing conditions and a mediocre harvest in Argentina have industry officials smiling at the prospects for this season’s Prairie sunflower crop. In late March, reports surfaced that some parts of Argentina were slightly damaged from dry weather late last year. The country is traditionally one of the world’s
Lower input costs seen encouraging more canaryseed acres
CNS Canada — Canaryseed’s reduced dependence on pricey fertilizer — and reduced exposure to the transportation issues facing other crops — could lead to increased acres this spring on the Prairies. Farmers may be more enticed to plant canaryseed this year when they look at the transportation problems affecting durum and wheat, said Kevin Hursh,
CBOT review: Corn underwhelms investors despite lower USDA projections
CNS Canada –– Chicago Board of Trade corn contracts saw some choppy activity during the week ended Wednesday, but finished with only small advances as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s prediction, that corn stockpiles would be lower than expected, failed to impress traders. “I think we saw a lot of positioning in this market,” said
Spring insect threat across Prairies seen as normal
CNS Canada — Cool temperatures and overall wet conditions should make it tough for most insects and other pests to get an early toehold on Prairie crops, according to three insect specialists across Western Canada. Wheat midge, cabbage seedpod weevils, flea beetles and grasshoppers are some of the early exceptions, however, as they have been
Prairie spring flooding concerns muted, for now
CNS Canada — Spring flooding doesn’t appear to be a major concern for any of the three Prairie provinces at this point, with a few exceptions, said provincial officials. Manitoba dodged a bullet March 31 when a major storm dumped heavy precipitation on parts of North Dakota and Minnesota. If the system had travelled a
Man., Sask. soybean acreage on the rise
CNS Canada — Record-breaking soybean yields are prompting another year of expansion of the oilseed in Manitoba fields, according to an industry-official. A year ago, producers in Manitoba planted more than one million acres of soybeans in the province, the most ever. The average yield in Manitoba was 39 bushels an acre — another all-time
Mustard acreage set to rise, but prices under pressure
CNS Canada — Last year’s good yields and an expected rise in the number of seeded acres have moved the spot price lower for mustard, but only slightly, according to an industry official in Lethbridge. Walter Dyck of Olds Products says 36 cents a pound is the number he’s hearing in the market right now
Prairie flax acres seen rising this spring
CNS Canada –– Flax acreage across the Prairies will likely increase this spring, as long as the price relationship holds up, industry officials said. Last year, about a million acres of flax were planted in Canada, according to Will Hill, president of the Flax Council of Canada. This year, he expects that number to rise
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