Snowstorms lessen drought’s impact

reuters / Back-to-back winter storms, that dropped up to two feet of snow in some areas of the nation’s midsection over in late February, lessened the harsh drought that has been gripping key U.S. farm states for months, climate experts said on Feb. 28. Oklahoma is one of the states that has benefited the most



South Korea offers loans to squeezed farmers

seoul / reuters / South Korea will offer $156 million in soft loans this year to farmers squeezed by record prices of feed grain and a weak domestic market for pork, the Agriculture Ministry said on Feb. 28. Livestock farmers in South Korea, the world’s third-largest importer of corn and a leading buyer of soybean

Malt barley facing stiff competition

More malt barley in Western Canada will be grown solely on a contracted basis as increasing competition from easier-to-grow genetically modified crops will cause producers to turn away from malt barley, Patrick Rowan, senior manager of Canadian barley operations with BARI-Canada said at the annual Wild Oats Grainworld conference Feb. 26. Genetically modified soybeans and



IGC forecasts larger world wheat crop

Most of the increased production will be absorbed by higher demand and end-season stocks are expected to rise by only two million tonnes

World wheat production in 2013-14 is tentatively expected to rise by four per cent, the International Grains Council said Feb. 21, issuing its first forecast for next season’s supply-and-demand balance for the commodity. “Much (of the increase) is expected to be absorbed by higher demand and end-season stocks are likely to rise by just two



Canola export plan eyes key tariff, non-tariff barriers

Tariffs still hinder canola’s access to China, Japan, 
Korea and the EU but non-tariff barriers are emerging

Some countries are still slapping import-limiting tariffs on Canada’s canola, but the industry warns this country’s most valuable commodity crop is “uniquely susceptible” to non-tariff barriers emerging at an increasing rate. Both types of barriers in key export markets are targeted in the Canola Council of Canada’s new market access strategy — and will require


Our March 8, 1979 issue featured a crop-management special, and this advertisement from that issue reminds of when Treflan was one of the most popular herbicides in Western Canada. Other ads in that issue included Avenge, Eradicane, Asulox, Hoe-Grass, Lorox, Torch and Buctril M. There was extensive information on growing rapeseed — it had not

Soybeans head west

With soybean acres continuing to soar in Manitoba, it appears soybeans are catching on in Saskatchewan too. Actual acreage data is scarce given the crop’s recent expansion into Saskatchewan, but Dale Risula, a crops specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, estimated that about 70,000 acres were sown in 2012. “The interest in soybeans seems very strong,” said