(Dave Bedard photo)

Agrium, PotashCorp in merger talks

Canadian fertilizer giants Agrium and PotashCorp confirmed Tuesday they’re in “preliminary discussions” toward a possible merger-of-equals. Calgary-based Agrium and Saskatoon-based PotashCorp emphasized in separate statements Tuesday that no decision has yet been made on whether to go ahead with such a merger and no agreement has yet been reached. “There can be no assurance that

Manitoba Agriculture soil fertility specialist John Heard, soil sampling the old-fashioned way, says sampling cereals fields right after combining provides some advantages.

Soil test right after the combine

The tradition has been to sample for soil nutrients later in the fall, but there are compelling reasons to go sooner than later

It’s been the accepted wisdom to soil test as late as possible in the fall, but one soil test lab says it might pay to go earlier. Agvise Laboratories, that has soil-testing labs in North Dakota and Minnesota and a large stable of Canadian customers, told growers in a recent email it may be a


Ismail Cakmak, who recently spoke at the University of Manitoba, sees nutrition security and food security as two related but separate issues.

Foliar fertilizer shows promise in reducing zinc deficiency

Yield can no longer be considered only in terms of volumes and weights

While many people are focused on the fight to end hunger, Professor Ismail Cakmak of Istanbul’s Sabanci University is focused on the fight to end hidden hunger. “Hunger is a lack of food and that is related to food security,” Cakmak told participants during a special seminar at the University of Manitoba this summer. “But

(Dave Bedard photo)

Fertilizer price slump chops profits at Agrium, CF

Reuters — Two of North America’s biggest fertilizer companies reported large drops in quarterly profit on Wednesday, and warned of tough times ahead as abundant supplies weighed on prices. At U.S. nitrogen producer CF Industries, second-quarter profit fell 87 per cent — more than expected — and it warned prices would likely remain weak into


Hand going through the field

Developing a Canadian food advantage

Farmers and the industry need to actually demonstrate that their products are produced sustainably

What would you guess is the single most important ingredient in modern food production? Good seeds? Rainfall? Fertilizer? The surprising answer is that around the world, the scarcest and most precious resource for producing food is trust. Luckily, Canada has natural advantages that could allow the people of the world to view us as their

Mosaic’s potash facility at Esterhazy, Sask. (Greg Berg photo)

Mosaic CEO sees opportunities to buy miners’ fertilizer assets

Reuters — Miners that produce a diverse commodity mix may be willing to part with fertilizer assets, creating buying opportunities for producers of potash and phosphate, Mosaic Co. CEO Joc O’Rourke said Tuesday. Profits of fertilizer producers have tumbled because of falling prices, weak currencies in importing countries such as Brazil and excessive supplies. Mosaic,


Federated Co-operatives builds new fertilizer terminals

Saskatoon, Sask. – Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) has announced it will spend $75 million to build two new state-of-the-art, high-throughput fertilizer terminals in Western Canada. “These are not only investments in agriculture, they are investments in western Canadian communities,” said Scott Banda, CEO of FCL. “The fact that we are building these facilities in a challenging

University of Manitoba soil scientist Mario Tenuta speaking about nitrogen uptake during a 4R nutrient management tour at Kelburn Farm July 2, 2014.

Take a 4R nutrient management farm demonstration tour

Learn more about using the right source of fertilizer and applying it 
at the right time, at the right rate and in the right place

Farmers can learn about getting more bang for their fertilizer buck while protecting the environment at 4R nutrient management farm demonstration tours near MacGregor, Manitou and Morris July 6, 7 and 8, respectively. “The focus will be on wheat and soybeans,” Amanda Giamber­ardinon, Fertilizer Canada’s manager of 4R Nutrient Stewardship, said in an interview June


Turkey bans ammonium nitrate sales after bomb attacks

Istanbul | Reuters — Turkey has banned the sale of fertilizers containing ammonium nitrate, which can be used in explosives, after at least half a dozen car bomb attacks this year, the agriculture minister said on Thursday. The move comes after 11 people including six police officers were killed on Tuesday in a car bomb

Yara’s fertilizer terminal at Stockton, California. (Sebastian Braum photo, Yara.com)

Vale, Yara deny talks over fertilizer unit stake

Brasilia | Reuters — Vale SA denied a report on Wednesday that it was negotiating a sale of fertilizer assets to Norway’s Yara International as the Brazilian miner seeks to raise cash following its biggest quarterly loss in decades. Valor Economico, a Brazilian business newspaper, reported Vale could sell a minority stake in its fertilizer