Another record shattered as Manitoba soybean acreage soars

It’s no surprise why: Low production costs, high prices, 
improved varieties and availability of crop insurance is making “beans” a big money-maker

Manitoba farmers planted more soybeans in 2012 than ever before — but the record won’t last long. “If things go as planned, with a good spring and the seed supplies are there, I think reaching the million mark won’t be too difficult next year,” said Dennis Lange, a farm production adviser based in Altona. This




Iran quietly makes massive wheat buy

paris / hamburg / reuters Iran’s state grains agency has discreetly snapped up around one million tonnes of milling wheat, largely from Europe, in a two week span last month. The country, previously a wheat exporter, has been hampered by Western sanctions over its nuclear program. But the wheat purchase demonstrates an ability to import


Light up for safety

With this year’s harvest winding down, I can’t help but reflect over a season that has resulted in both one of the earliest combining seasons I have ever seen, and also one that has seemingly dragged on forever. Early seeding and hot weather in August and September has ripened off plants and allowed producers to

Higher U.S. wheat plantings likely — and needed

Production problems haven’t left markets short yet but that could change if Australian growers 
continue to suffer from a lack of rainfall, which would set the stage for a wheat rally

Reuters / Stubbornly high prices have served to keep U.S. wheat out of contention on the export market in recent months, but a broad jump in winter wheat acreage coupled with growing overseas demand could change that picture. It’s no surprise that farmers in top hard red wheat states such as Kansas are upping their


Harvest nears completion, pastures are done

Weekly Provincial Summary  Good harvest weather allowed for excellent harvest progress across Manitoba. Harvest continues on the remaining flax, soybean, grain and silage corn, industrial hemp, alfalfa seed and potato acres.  Sunflower harvest is just underway across Manitoba.  The earliest seeded winter wheat has emerged but precipitation would help with germination and stand establishment.  Precipitation

Food bank donations urged

Staff / In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Parliamentary Secretary Pierre Lemieux are encouraging Canadians to generously donate to their local food banks. Lemieux joined Turkey Farmers of Canada Chair Mark Davies at the Ottawa Food Bank last week to present a $50,000 donation to Food Banks Canada. This


New website for info on Prairie checkoffs

The Alberta Barley Commission (ABC) recently launched a new website to help western Canadian grain farmers and buyers better understand the new collection system for the wheat and barley checkoff. The website, www.wheatbarleycheckoff.com, provides information about the checkoff, the remittance process, reporting procedures and answers frequently asked questions. In accordance with the federal “Regulations Respecting

New CWB has role in open market

Western farmers have long been divided over the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly, but farmers on both sides of the debate can agree the new CWB’s role is to add competition to the marketplace, says CWB vice-president for grain procurement Gord Flaten. The CWB provides farmers with the option to pool wheat, durum and barley sales,