Minister Says Canadian Canola Doesn’t Sprout

Efforts to dissuade China from blocking imports of Canadian canola over fears of blackleg haven’t gone well, and comments by Canada’s agriculture minister may not have helped. Gerry Ritz said Monday in Winnipeg he told Chinese officials they needn’t fear their farmers growing Canadian canola because the seed won’t grow. “I assured them that with

Monsanto Ponders GM Wheat For Canada

Monsanto’s approach to commercializing genetically modified (GM) wheat in Canada will be guided by Canada’s wheat industry, says Monsanto Canada spokesperson Trish Jordan. That is if Monsanto decides to develop GM wheat for the Canadian market. “Right now… we simply don’t know,” Jordan told a luncheon in Winnipeg Oct. 28 hosted by the Manitoba Farm


Chinese Demand Blackleg-Free Canola

China’s demand that Canada start delivering certified blackleg-free canola starting Nov. 15 will be tough to fulfil because the fungus disease is common here, says Canola Council of Canada president JoAnne Buth. But she says the Canadian government and canola industry are working hard to restore access to one of Canada’s major canola customers. Last

Late-Harvested Crops Require Careful Attention

With several crops still in the field, farmers must decide what to harvest first, at what moisture content and how to store for long-term quality. Sunflowers can hold out longer than swathed canola if the sunflowers are disease free and in good shape. And flax is less likely to shell out than canola. Some crops,


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

Canola Top Quality Crop

Canada’s canola crop has surpassed the quality of last year’s bumper crop, despite trying early-growing-season weather that delayed maturity and created uneven growth. Tests by the Canadian Grain Commission show top-grade seed samples have an average of 44.8 per cent oil content – a measurement of the oilseed’s value to crushers who extract the oil


In Brief… – for Oct. 8, 2009

Conditions worsen: Violence on Zimbabwe’s farms, once the country’s economic mainstay, is worsening, the country’s Commercial Farmers Union said on Sept. 30. Many white farmers have been evicted from land by President Robert Mugabe’s government since 2000, as part of a land reform program credited with causing a slump in agriculture. “The reality is that



More Clubroot-Tolerant Canolas In Pipeline

Several clubroot-tolerant canolas could be available to Alberta and other western farmers next spring. In the meantime, Manitoba authorities have stepped up their vigilance against the long-lived, soil-borne pathogen that can decimate canola yields. Pioneer Hi-Bred’s 45H29, the first clubroot-tolerant canola in Canada, received interim registration in February at the Western Canada Canola/Rapeseed Recommending Committee

Changes To Canola Registration System Proposed

“I think companies will only take this path (interim registration) if they know for sure they’re going to pass in the second year.” – JOANNE BUTH The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) says its proposal to change the canola registration system will get improved varieties to farmers faster while still safeguarding them and processors from