Short canola supplies force buyers to be creative

There has been little uptake in new milling wheat, durum and barley contracts, which puts their futures in doubt

Steady demand provided canola futures on the ICE Canada platform with plenty of support during the week ended Oct. 26. Much of the demand was associated with the emergence of fresh Chinese buying interest, with at least three cargoes of Canadian canola purchased by the country. There were hints that additional sales were made, but

Farmers complain about problems delivering grain to CWB

CWB vice-president of grain procurement Gord Flaten says it’s mostly just growing pains and the system will work

Some grain handlers are refusing to accept CWB grain deliveries and promising better grades to farmers who bypass the new voluntary board, farmers said during a recent conference call with CWB officials Oct. 17. During the conference-call meeting with more than 3,200 farmers, an Alberta producer (who identified himself only as John) said elevator employees


Sheep shearers in short supply

The Manitoba Sheep Association is calling on the province to help address a looming shortage of top-notch sheep shearers. “A professional sheep shearer can do 200 head a day,” said Lucien Lesage, president of the provincial association. “I don’t want to insult the ones here, but a lot of them do only 50 to 60

EU may extend zero import duties

Reuters / The European Union’s cereals management committee will vote Nov. 8 on whether to extend the suspension of the bloc’s import duties on feed wheat and barley until the end of June 2013, a draft regulation showed. In June, the European Union suspended its import duties of 12 euros per tonne for low- and


California’s GMO labelling proposal in tight race

Reuters / Heavy advertising spending by Monsanto Co. and others opposed to a California ballot proposal to require labels on grocery products containing genetically modified organisms is paying off, according to a new poll that shows the measure has slipped into a virtual tie. Forty-four per cent of California voters now support the measure, while

Continued care of your chrysanthemum

Maybe it was because of the lovely warm, sunny autumn that we enjoyed, but for whatever reason, retail shops and garden centres were filled with potted chrysanthemums in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Even after Thanksgiving, there was an abundance of potted mums available for people to use in their autumn décor. The colours


Letter to a young farmer…

The farm is old and needs a lot of work, you say. I hope you realize that 50 years from now your son will likely say the very same as he views your own weathered dreams, because farms, like people, never reach perfection. Yet every generation has a vision all its own, but sometimes in

Building nitrogen on the range through better grazing management

Low rainfall during the growing season is the most obvious factor causing reduced grass production. However, low available mineral nitrogen at less than 100 pounds per acre is responsible for greater than half of the reduction in herbage production. “Most grassland pastures managed with traditional practices have mineral nitrogen available at 60 to 75 pounds


Marketing funds for organic food

The federal government is supporting the marketing efforts of two organic trade associations. The Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) will receive $180,000 from the AgriMarketing Program to help it participate in international trade shows, develop promotional materials, and build a long-term international strategy for the organic sector. The Organic Council of Ontario (OCO) will receive

EU decries Ukraine’s decision to halt wheat exports

Reuters / The European Union’s top farm official says Ukraine’s decision to ban wheat exports from Nov. 15 risked increasing world grain prices and disturbing international trade flows. “I am deeply disappointed to see this announcement. It will add unnecessary tension to international agricultural markets, and those that will suffer most will be the world’s