Magic-bullet solutions only last so long

We’ve all done it. Pushed our crop rotations, that is. You know that field had canola on it two years ago, but the seed you have already purchased, the fertilizer you applied last fall, or the delivery contract you already signed all make us do things that we know are not in our best agronomic

CWB boosts wheat and malting barley initials

Prairie malting barley growers can expect to see an extra $51.90 per tonne in the next few weeks for their 2011-12 deliveries. The barley adjustment payment, expected to flow by direct deposit on Feb. 21 and by cheques in the mail starting Feb. 24, is on the list of increased initial payments effective Feb. 9,


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

Forecast calls for record canola acres, output

Canola futures on the ICE Futures Canada trading platform were mixed during the week ended Jan. 20, with the nearby months seeing small gains while the deferred values were slightly weaker. A continued strong export lineup at Canada’s West Coast, along with strong domestic demand from the processing sector, helped to generate some of the


More Crops Briefs, Jan. 26

Viterra shares stumble after disappointing Q4 Reuters / Shares of Viterra fell sharply after the grain handler reported disappointing quarterly results. The company reported lower-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings of three cents a share, although revenue of $3.1 billion topped expectations. CEO Mayo Schmidt said the results were “definitely disappointing.” However, for the year, Viterra’s profit jumped

Domestic pulse processing touted

More processing is key to the long-term success of the pulse sector in Western Canada, the head of the country’s largest pulse trading company told attendees at Crop Week in Saskatoon. The pulse sector should be focused on producing food rather than a commodity, said Murad Al-Katib, president and CEO of of Alliance Grain Traders



More Crops Briefs, Jan. 26

CWB’s winter rail program expects high volumes The Canadian Wheat Board’s winter rail program is expected to be one of the highest-volume years ever. “This is very good to see,” said CWB spokesperson Maureen Fitzhenry. “There was a big crop and a lot of demand.” The 2010-11 program transported 840,000 tonnes of wheat and durum


Argentina revamps wheat policy

Argentina’s new wheat export system promises to spur output from the grains-producing powerhouse at a time when farmers are hurting from dry weather and the government needs more foreign currency. The administration of recently re-elected President Cristina Fernandez will scrap incremental export quotas in a bid to improve prices for farmers by boosting competition among

Buckwheat snack food impresses at food show

A new made-in-Manitoba snack food has been named one of the top 12 natural foods at an international gourmet food show in San Francisco. Buckshots, a roasted buckwheat snack, may have vaulted the crop from obscurity to significant new interest, too. Many of the Canadian, American, and global buyers attending the 2012 Winter Fancy Food