No surprise in grain stocks report

Reuters / Canada’s supplies of canola were slightly tighter on Dec. 31 than a year earlier, but all-wheat supplies grew modestly, Statistics Canada has reported. The calendar year-end stocks report is an indicator of how accurate StatsCan’s final production estimates were for the most recent harvest, along with how robust demand was late in the

Market steady, but uncertainty ahead

Commodity prices may have peaked in 2011, ProFarmer analyst Mike Jubinville told farmers attending the St. Jean Farm Days. “My gut feeling right now is that the heights have already come in,” Jubinville told producers. “It’s not that I’m feeling bearish about the marketplace going into 2012, personally I think that there is going to


Apples And Oranges Add Up To Bananas

We ve observed over time that it s become increasingly difficult for civil servants to maintain that blurry distinction between policy and politics. But there can be no question that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has crossed the line with its marketing freedom website. It was undoubtedly pushed, but the result is the same. There can

In Brief… – for Sep. 29, 2011

Cargill expands West Fargo plant:Cargill will spend an estimated $50 million rebuilding and expanding its oilseed-processing plant in West Fargo, the company has announced. The existing facility has served us well since we built it 30 years ago, and we are now looking at rebuilding it to meet the needs of our customers for the


Big Canadian Crop Coming, Says StatsCan

While Canadian farmers will produce more wheat and a record-large canola crop in 2011, according to Statistic Canada, Manitoba’s crop production will be well below average. StatsCan estimated in its Aug. 24 report based on a July 11 survey all-wheat production of 24.076 million tonnes, up nearly four per cent from a year ago, and

Crop Report – for Sep. 1, 2011

SOUTHWEST REGION Little to no precipitation fell over the past week. Weather was favourable for harvest operations. Winter wheat and fall rye harvest is 90 per cent complete with yields below average. Most areas are reporting winter wheat yields in the 40 to 50 bushels/acre range with good quality and average protein. Several producers started


Weeds Could Taint Crop Quality In Storage

Despite dry weather conditions for this year’s grain harvest, this spring’s wet weather may influence the quality of harvested grain when it goes into storage. Weeds may be present at harvest because wet spring weather meant many western Canadian grain producers were unable to apply their usual weed controls. If immature weed seeds are not

Crop Report – for Aug. 25, 2011

SOUTHWEST REGION Scattered rainshowers across the Southwest Region at the beginning of the week brought 10 to 30 mm in isolated events. Winter wheat and fall rye harvest is 60 per cent complete with yields reporting in the 40 to 70 bushels/acre range. Most areas are reporting average quality. Producers will be starting to plant


Time To Line Up Winter Wheat Seed

With an estimated three million unseeded acres in Manitoba, a lot of farmers are expected to seed winter wheat later this month. “The supply (of winter wheat seed) will be good but the demand will be high,” Todd Hyra, SeCan’s business manager for Western Canada said in an interview Aug. 5. “I’d say call your

Crop Report – for Aug. 4, 2011

SOUTHWEST REGION Rainfall over the past week varied from 10 to 25 mm, with most happening in isolated events. Growing conditions over the past week have aided in crop development. Cereal crops are heading with early-planted crops starting to turn. Most canola crops are going out of bloom with some of the later crops in