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Grain movement is already prompting some concerns this season, with a larger-than-average crop in the bin.
Crops, News

Unexpectedly big crop moving slower than last year

That worries KAP president Dan Mazier, but the WGEA and 
grain monitor aren’t overly concerned — yet

By
Western Canada’s bigger-than-expected crop is moving to export slower than at last crop year’s record pace, and while grain companies aren’t panicking, Keystone Agricultural Producers’ (KAP) president Dan Mazier says it’s costing farmers. “It may not be a crisis, but it’s still taking money out of farmers’ pocket,” Mazier said in an interview Oct. 20.
Farmers, elevator operators and oilseed processors all say there is still room for improvement in pending transportation legislation.
News

Farmers, grain companies deliver consistent message on rail legislation

They told the transport committee C-49 is an improvement but more needs to be done

By
Pending transportation legislation has hit the target — but it’s not a bull’s-eye. That was the message from western Canadian grain farmers, elevator companies and oilseed processors last week, when they spoke to the House of Commons transport committee on Bill C-49, the Transportation Modernization Act. They told legislators that there was still room for
Loading a producer car at the Boundary Group Inc. facility at Darlingford, Man., on the short line owned and operated by the Boundary Trail Railway Company. CP Rail is closing 17 producer car loading sites across the West, including two in Manitoba — Foxwarren and Strathclair.
News, Other

CP Rail closing 17 producer car loading sites across the West

KAP is considering joining APAS’s call for a moratorium, 
at least until new rail legislation becomes law

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CP Rail is pulling the plug on producer car loading sites throughout the Prairies, including two in Manitoba at Foxwarren and Strathclair. That move has the Keystone Agricultural Producers considering joining a call for a moratorium on closing sidings used to load producer cars that was first proposed by the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan
More collaboration and better communication is credited with improving Western Canada’s grain-handling and transportation system. One example of better communications occurred last fall when Doug MacDonald, CN Rail’s vice-president of bulk (standing top centre), and other CN officials, met with western Canadian farm leaders at the Port of Vancouver.
Crops, News

A new day for grain transportation?

With record port throughput occurring twice in the crop years following the 2013-14 shipping backlog it ‘feels’ that way

By
The great grain backlog of 2013-14 was a disaster, costing western Can­adian farmers billions, but there’s a silver lining: since then, grain movement has never been better. “I think it really was a wake-up call for a lot of parties, especially governments, and people who aren’t necessarily as close to the (grain transportation) issue,” Wade
Data collection and infrastructure are the next big priorities for the 
grain-handling and transportation system, says Western Grain Elevator Association executive director Wade Sobkowich.
Crops, News

New grain system priorities: data collection, infrastructure

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The next two big priorities concerning grain movement are data collection and infrastructure, says Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA). “Any time you have a supply chain you have a bottleneck somewhere,” he said in an interview Aug. 23. WGEA members welcome the longer trains CN and CP Rail are
railway cars
News

CN Rail set grain-shipping records September to April

Longer manifest trains and increased rail and shipper efficiency are paying off, CN says

By
[Updated: June 8, 2017] It’s been a record-breaking year for grain movement on CN Rail during the 2016-17 crop year, even with a slow start in August. “Once we hit September it was full blast,” David Przednowek, CN’s director of grain marketing, said in an interview May 17. “Each individual month from September all the
News

CN Rail says it’s fully meeting grain shipper demand

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Most weeks this crop year CN Rail has delivered more than 90 per cent of the cars grain companies ordered, according to Ag Transport Coalition’s (ATC) weekly reports. That’s pretty good service, says Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association and one of the ATC’s members. David Przednowek, CN Rail’s director of
Competition appears to be spurring efficiencies in the grain pipeline, which are finding their way to farmers.
News

Western farmers benefit from grain-handling efficiency gains

Basis levels are closer to normal, indicating more competition and fewer system constraints, says U of M ag economist Derek Brewin

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Western Canadian grain farmers saw the gap between the export price and their price narrow in 2015-16, reaping the benefits of an efficient and competitive grain-handling and transportation system (GHTS). Despite 2015’s near-record 64.7-million-tonne crop, there was no repeat of a grain shipping backlog that followed record production in 2013, Derek Brewin, a University of
Railway costing review risks, benefits
News

Railway costing review risks, benefits

A review was a Liberal election promise but the government hasn’t announced one despite proposed 
changes to the maximum revenue entitlement

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A University of Manitoba agriculture economist warns regulations cutting how much the railways are allowed to earn hauling grain could discourage them from investing to be more efficient. “I don’t know if you want to mess with the system too much,” Derek Brewin said in an interview May 23. “They’ve (western farmers) got a competitive
grain cars
Cereals, News

Grain sector likes transportation act changes

Time will tell, but the industry says the Bill C-49 changes should lead to better grain service

By
After decades of complaining about poor rail service for grain, western farmers and shippers say Bill C-49, the Transportation Modernization Act, is close to what they’ve been asking for. Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA), which represents Western Canada’s major elevator companies, said it includes most of the changes it

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