In a recent letter to the editor, Stewart Wells, past president of the NFU and current CWB director candidate criticizes the Wheat Growers for seeking the opportunity to price and deliver our grain at a time of our choosing,
Cereals
Farmers Should Be Free To Decide
Letters – for Sep. 30, 2010
Open letter to Premier Greg Selinger As a cattle producer of this province, I would commend your government’s announcement for changes to the Animal Welfare Act. Like all cattle producers, we take pride in our animals and will do anything for their wellbeing while in our care and do not support any form of failure
Bumper Australian Crop To Strain Rail Links
Australia’s biggest wheat harvest in nearly a decade threatens to strain a creaky rail network and delay grain shipments just as buyers look to the country to plug global supply gaps caused by a Russian export ban. The logjam, reminiscent of a scramble by exporters early in 2009 to fill orders immediately after the harvest
Viterra To Take Over AWB Grain Business?
Agrium Inc. is considering whether to keep or sell the grain-handling and marketing unit of takeover target AWB Ltd., a top Agrium official said Sept. 15. Agrium, North America’s leading retailer of fertilizer and chemicals and other farm products, is in the process of buying AWB for A$1.2 billion (C$1.15 billion). AWB, formerly the Australian
Canola Markets May Resist Further Increases
Canola contracts traded on the ICE Futures Canada platform bounced around during the week ended Sept. 24, consolidating their recent strength, but eventually managed to climb higher on the back of a rally in the Chicago soybean market. Prices had hit their highest levels since June 2009 by the end of the week, with technical
Crop Report – for Sep. 30, 2010
SOUTHWEST REGION Rainfall limited harvest progress over the past week but many producers were able to resume harvest operations over the weekend. Cereal harvest ranges from 35 to 60 per cent complete with more progress seen south of Highway #1. Yields are reported to be average with quality being reduced because of the wet conditions.
Canadian Frost Hits Canola Quality Hard
The canola crop in Canada’s top two growing provinces may be the lowest quality in five years after widespread frost halted growth in immature plants, a Canola Council of Canada official said Sept. 22. Excessive spring rain delayed planting in Saskatchewan and Alberta, leaving much of the immature oil-seed crop vulnerable with unripe, green seeds
Ancient Seeds In Mexico Fight Warming Effects
More than 500 years after Spanish priests brought wheat seeds to Mexico to make wafers for the Catholic Mass, those seeds may bring a new kind of salvation to farmers hit by global warming. Scientists working in the farming hills outside Mexico City found the ancient wheat varieties have particular drought-and heat-resistant traits, such as
Feed Barley Exports Create Opportunities – for Sep. 23, 2010
Extreme volatility in world grain prices has created significant price opportunities for Prairie farmers. While the dramatic market swings have presented new possibilities, it’s not easy to decide what to do – especially if your crop is not harvested. The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) has been active during this period, working to maximize producer returns
Agri-Food Research Team Links Up With Latin American Firm – for Sep. 23, 2010
Manitoba researchers are working with a Latin American firm to commercialize healthier wheat and oat products, including a better bread for the second largest bread consumer in the world. The Consorcio de Cereales Funcionales SA., or “Functional Cereal Consortium” is a new company launched this summer as a joint venture between the Manitoba Agri-Health Research