In Brief… – for May. 26, 2011

Accelerated efficiency: The chief executive of Viterra says plans to scrap the Canadian Wheat Board’s marketing monopoly on western wheat and barley would likely accelerate improvements to the grain transportation system. “Obviously, change brings more change, so that certainly may accelerate that change in creating greater efficiencies in that system,” said Mayo Schmidt May 18.

In Brief… – for May. 27, 2010

Another barn fire: An empty chicken barn in the Steinbach area went up in flames May 19. Steinbach RCMP says it received an early-morning call and arrived at the scene south of the city to find the barn fully engulfed in flames. The fire resulted in the total loss of the barn, that had an


Salmonella Cuts Into Canola Crushing

Canada’s oilseed processors are crushing less canola, the first tangible sign that the rapidly expanding industry has run into a rut because of a dispute over salmonella with the U. S. Food and Drug Administration. Crushing has decreased even as processors are boosting capacity. If the trend continues, more seed could shift to export and

Smaller Canada Canola Crop Could Curb Exports

A sharply smaller Canadian canola crop in a year when crushing capacity is expanding could create tight supplies that would buoy prices and force buyers to rethink plans. Most Canadian crops are expected to shrink after cool weather and drought-delayed development. Farmers are hoping for later-than-normal frost-free weather to allow their crops to mature. Amid


Letters – for Jun. 25, 2009

Proof is in the canola meal The proof is in the pudding. So goes an old expression and sometimes old expressions prove to be so true. Earlier this spring, there was an interesting discussion on the Comment page wherein a learned professor intimated that the problem of salmonella in the Canadian food chain had its

Salmonella Found In Canola Meal

Two rail car shipments of canola meal from Bunge’s Canadian crushing plants tested positive for salmonella after inspection by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration at the border in May, Bunge Ltd. said on June 12. One shipment that tested positive in early May traces back to the Bunge plant in Hamilton, Ontario, said