In Brief… – for Jul. 21, 2011

Construction underway: Legumex Walker Inc. is starting construction of its 10th production facility, a canola oilseed-processing plant in Warden, Washington. The new facility, the company’s first in the United States, will produce expeller-pressed canola oil and high-quality canola meal. The plant will be the first commercial-scale canola-crushing operation west of the Rockies and is well

Open Letter To CWB Directors

The private elevator companies and the railways are expecting more revenue at the expense of the farmers’ income if Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz destroys our Canadian Wheat Board. The power of price negotiation for farmers is


Farmers Shouldn’t Bear Cost Of CWB Winddown: KAP

Keys tone Agr icul tural Producers want assurances farmers won’t be footing the bills associated with ending the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly. They also want key non-marketing services in research and market development, presently supported by farmers through the CWB, to continue. Delegates at the July general council meeting passed two carefully worded resolutions stating

Winter Wheat Outlook Improves

Decent growing weather over the past couple of weeks has helped winter wheat crops in Western Canada catch up in their development, but a late harvest is expected and disease is also causing problems in some areas, said an official with the Canadian Wheat Board. Most winter wheat is now in the heading stage, with


Flood Recovery Will Be Slow

Wi t h Heartland Livestock in Virden taking the week off, there were only two cattle sales in Manitoba during the week ended July 18, with light volumes being reported in both Brandon and Winnipeg. Although volumes were light, prices were holding firm, with even some higher prices seen in the slaughter market. But even

Weather Concerns Drive Markets

Canola futures on the ICE Canada trading platform continued their upward trek during the week ended July 15 with weather concerns and a pickup in demand assisting the price gains. Some of the weather concerns were linked to the Canadian Prairies and differing opinions on the condition of the canola crop in each of the


Storms Knock Down Wide Swath Of U.S. Corn Acres

CHICAGO/REUTERS Severe thunderstorms that ripped across the U.S. Midwest July 11 may have destroyed up to 550,000 acres of corn, although 100,000 to 275,000 acres was more likely, an agricultural meteorologist said. The U.S. National Weather Service said the storms produced straight-line winds in excess of 70 miles per hour (113 km per hour), with

Brazil Brings Farming Muscle To Corn And Cotton

After transforming global agriculture by quintupling their soybean production since 1980, Brazilian farmers are now on the brink of crop breakthroughs in cotton and corn, long dominated by growers in America. Helped by high futures prices and a sustained local agricultural boom, cotton and corn acreage is spreading fast, despite being twice as capital intensive


U.S. Must Lead Fight Against Hunger — Bill Gates

Billionaire Bill Gates knows how to end the poverty and hunger that afflicts nearly one billion people worldwide – help them grow more food. At a food security conference May 24, Gates called for U.S. leadership in a global campaign to expand food production. Agriculture ministers of the Group of 20 major developing and emerging

Danish Research Targets Sow Longevity

Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. His columns will run every second week in the Manitoba Co-operator. In my previous article, I explained how the Danish industry is improving productivity and reducing production costs through a focused research and development program which quickly