Cover Crops Could Fill Void

“We should be home, getting to work!” – Scott Day, Mafri With so many unseeded acres on the Prairies, the problem has even attracted the attention of politicians, who have responded with a promise of cheques in the mail. But, ultimately, what to do about it is in the hands of the farmers who got

CWB Turns 75 Years Old

“This milestone is particularly significant to many international customers, who view our longevity as a sign of stability in an often volatile world market environment.” – CWB CHAIRMAN ALLEN OBERG The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) turned 75 years old July 5. Loved by some and despised by others, its future is far from clear. The


CFA Rejects NFU Presence At Pre-Ag Ministers’ Meeting

“I’ve been at meetings for years where CFA people have been around and I may be forceful and make my points but I’m certainly not confrontational. I think I know the difference.” – TERRY BOEHM The National Farmers Union (NFU) didn’t get to meet with provincial agriculture ministers last week because the Canadian Federation of

Canola Growers Concerned About Rail Costs

“We didn’t want to antagonize the minister, but we wanted to make sure that he knew we are concerned.” – ROB PETTINGER, MCGA Canola growers care about rail freight costs and want the federal government to review them, says Rob Pettinger, president of the Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA). Pettinger was reacting to comments from


In Brief… – for Jul. 1, 2010

Out of time: Wet conditions limited planting by Western Canadian farmers this spring to only 82 per cent of the original planned acreage, the Canadian Wheat Board said June 21. The final crop insurance deadlines passed on June 20. Farmers are expected to plant their smallest acreage of wheat, durum and barley in decades and

Avoid Hasty Response To Unseeded Acreage

A s the seeding window closes, the unseeded acreage projections are staggering. But it’s difficult to know how governments should respond or if they should respond at all. The Canadian Wheat Board says Western Canada will have the lowest wheat acreage since 1971. Barley acreage is expected to be the lowest since 1965. Pressure is


Goodale Bill To Put Farmers In Control At CWB

“Charlie Mayer and Bill Knight, …they didn’t much like the Canadian Wheat Board, but they didn’t attempt to shoot it in the head in the middle of the night.” – RALPH GOODALE Liberal MP Ralph Goodale is trying once more to turn control of the Canadian Wheat Board over to farmers. The architect of the

Farmers Demand Ottawa Review Rail Costs For Grain

“The railways … don’t want competition and they don’t want regulation. You can’t have it both ways.” – IAN WISHART Western grain farmers are overpaying the railways by an estimated $200 million a year or $6.87 a tonne to haul their crops to export, according to a study prepared for the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB).


AgriRecovery Faces Stiff Test From Prairie Flooding

Anational program to help farmers affected by natural disasters faces a severe test from floods jeopardizing the entire 2010 western Canadian crop. AgriRecovery is aimed at mitigating the effects of a disaster and helping producers resume business operations. The program is intended to fill gaps left by other programs such as AgriStability and crop insurance.

Unseeded Acres Arrive In Markets

For three-times-daily market reports from Resource News International, visit “ICE Futures Canada updates” at www.manitobacooperator.ca. Mounting weather concerns across Western Canada finally made their way into the canola market during the week ended June 11, causing the futures to rally sharply higher on ideas that large areas will be left unseeded this year due to