Grain companies and farm groups are questioning whether moving to more specific measures of wheat quality provide enough benefit relative to the cost.

Grain-grading factors spur industry debate

Grain companies and farm groups question whether moving to more specific measures of wheat quality provide enough benefit relative to the cost

Western Canada’s major grain companies strongly oppose making falling number (FN) and DON official grading factors for wheat under the Canada Grain Act. And at least two farm groups — the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) and Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) — are wary of the idea and want more information before any change. “The WGEA

Canada's grain export terminals can handle almost 19,000 cars a week, elevators say, but the rails say they'll deliver 8,000 a week combined in winter and 11,000 the rest of the year.

Rail car shortfalls drag on sales, grain companies say

Grain companies say they can handle twice the number of rail cars they’re getting

Western Canada’s major grain companies say car shortfalls are seriously hampering their ability to make sales. In fact, they say they can handle twice as many rail cars during the first half of the crop year than what the railways intend to supply. “We don’t expect the railways to gear up to provide 18,750 rail



Mike Gifford, Canada’s former chief agricultural trade negotiator, says the elements for a deal on agriculture through NAFTA are there without scrapping supply management.

NAFTA ag deal while keeping supply management possible

Mike Gifford says the negotiations are unique because agriculture doesn’t top the agenda

An agreement on agricultural trade under a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is possible without gutting dairy supply management, says Mike Gifford, Canada’s former chief agricultural trade negotiator. The United States is Canadian agriculture’s biggest customer generating more than $50 billion in annual revenues. Terminating NAFTA, as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to

Complaints about Canadian grading of U.S. wheat justified: Gifford

American complaints that Canadian regulations unfairly block American wheat from entering Canadian elevators are justified, says Mike Gifford, Canada’s former chief agricultural trade negotiator. “This is a classic issue of where the optics are awful,” Gifford told the 22nd annual Fields on Wheels conference in Winnipeg Dec. 15. “It seems to me it is an


Cows herded in to holding pen

Cattle prices stay on strong side

There was just a slight price drop for some feeder steers 
and heifers this past week

Prices for cattle at Manitoba auction marts continue to stay strong, but some classes did drop off slightly during the week ended November 17. Feeder steers in the 300 to 400 lb range softened by a few dollars along with heifers in that same weight class. Most classes and weights of calves were four to

Wheat bids fall along with U.S. futures

Wheat bids fall along with U.S. futures

While the futures fell, many locations saw a rising basis

Hard red spring wheat bids in Western Canada fell slightly for the week ending Nov. 17, following decreases in the United States markets. Depending on the location, average Canada Western Red Spring (13.5 per cent protein CWRS) wheat prices were down $3 to $5 per tonne across the Prairie provinces, according to price quotes from

Blooming rapeseed field at sunset

Canola prices likely capped by ample supplies

StatsCan has left canola projections unchanged in their 
most recent supply/demand tables

ICE Canada canola prices bounced around within a wide range during the week ended Nov. 17, but finished on a firmer note as a rally in Chicago Board of Trade soybeans gave canola a boost. Any strength was largely tied to chart-based speculative buying, with no real fresh fundamental news as far as canola is


Wheat bids rise across Western Canada

Wheat bids rise across Western Canada

U.S. futures rose, pulling Canadian prices right along with them

Hard red spring wheat bids in Western Canada rose for the week ending Nov. 9, following increases in the United States markets. Depending on the location, average Canada Western Red Spring (13.5 per cent protein CWRS) wheat prices were up C$8 to C$9 per tonne across the Prairie provinces, according to price quotes from a

grain train canola field

CN car fulfilment dropped in weeks 11 and 12

However, the company says it is bringing more crews and power online to pick up the pace

CN Rail is still struggling to fulfil grain car orders in Western Canada, according to statistics collected by the Ag Transport Coalition (ATC). A CN spokesperson says the company is committed to meeting grain company needs. To that end CN has ramped up hiring and this quarter will add another 250 new crew members, Kate