(File photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

USDA adjusts world rapeseed stocks estimates

Canadian carryout pegged above AAFC's estimate

MarketsFarm — World rapeseed ending stocks are forecast to tighten slightly in 2019-20 compared to earlier projections, according to an update from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service. The Oilseeds: World Markets and Trade report pegged world rapeseed carryout for the current marketing year at 6.307 million tonnes, down from the February estimate

cgc

Grain Commission’s chief announces retirement

AAFC's review of Grain Act, and of CGC's future, continues

The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) is seeking a new chief commissioner. Patti Miller, who has held the position for three years, announced Tuesday to CGC staff that she will retire June 26. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) “will be launching an open, transparent and merit-based process to find a new commissioner as soon as possible,”



(Jack Dykinga photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Industry leaders weigh in on seed royalty review

'Other markets... have already moved past this'

Syngenta’s Trevor Heck isn’t choosing a route for collecting seed royalty rates — but says the federal government needs to “move forward on some type of value capture” model. “Right now, you know, if we don’t have that within the seed industry, it’s going to be very difficult to be able to get the level


(Greg Berg photo)

Oat area poised to rise

MarketsFarm — Solid prices and growing demand — and risk aversion among growers — should see more oat acres seeded in Canada in 2020, with early signs pointing to the largest oat crop in more than a decade. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada predicted 2020 oat area at 3.93 million acres in its January report, which



Barley south of Ethelton, Sask. on July 30, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Prairie barley groups back new research funding arm

The three Prairie barley growers’ groups are taking a more “collaborative” approach to longer-term national and regional research work on barley breeding. SaskBarley, Alberta Barley and the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association on Monday launched what they’ve dubbed the Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC), following a path similar to that of the three provincial

A mature wheat crop in southern Saskatchewan, on Sept. 2, 2018.

Year in review: Cereal royalty discussions expected to resume soon

Seed industry had hoped issue would be settled by now

Prairie farmers will be talking about cereal royalties again this year. When public discussions on collecting more royalties from farmers to help fund new cereal varieties started in November 2018 the federal government targeted the spring of 2019 to report on farmer feedback on the seed industry’s two proposed options. But farmer opposition to both


(Dave Bedard photo)

AAFC lowers canola ending stocks forecast

MarketsFarm — Canadian canola ending stocks will be much tighter than earlier thought, according to updated supply/demand tables which were released late Thursday by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and account for the latest production numbers from Statistics Canada. AAFC’s projected canola ending stocks for 2019-20 were lowered to 3.5 million tonnes, which compares with the