In Brief… – for Sep. 22, 2011

Sask. harvest ahead of normal:Saskatchewan farmers had harvested 60 per cent of the overall 2011 crop as of Sept. 12, moving ahead of the five-year average of 47 per cent after a week of favourable weather, the provincial government said last Thursday in a weekly report. Harvest progress was the most advanced for this time

France Kicks Off Wheat Research Group

Wheat researchers gathered in Paris Sept. 15 to launch a global research program in what G20 president France says will support efforts to feed a growing world population. France hopes the initiative will select priority research areas by next year, but support for the initiative is uncertain, with only 10 countries signed up so far


Ukraine AgMin Sees Bumper Wheat, Maize Exports

Ukraine plans to boost its grain harvest to 51 million tonnes in 2011 from 39.2 million a year ago and hopes to double exports to 24 million tonnes in the 2011-12 season, Ukraine s Agriculture Minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk said on Sept. 7. Prysyazhnyuk told Reuters the former Soviet republic had harvested 22.2 million tonnes of

Oilseed Supplies Drag On Canola Demand

Canola futures on the ICE Futures Canada trading platform lost some significant ground during the week ended Sept. 16, with the advancing harvest in Western Canada and reports of better-than-anticipated yields encouraging the downward price slide. Producers were also delivering canola right off the combine and into the country elevator system, which contributed to some


Cover Crops May Fight Weeds, Fix Nitrogen In Manitoba

Organic farmers are long-time users of cover crops to control weeds and add fertility, but a University of Manitoba researcher says they may be an option for conventional farmers as well. There are multiple benefits from using plants to manage soils and so I m hoping that my research here will explore what the benefits

Crop Report – for Sep. 22, 2011

SOUTHWEST REGION Most of the Southwest Region received 10 to 30 mm of rain over the past week. Several areas reported frost Wednesday and Thursday evenings 0 with temperatures dropping to -4 C in some areas. Harvest over the past week slowed as producers are waiting for the late-seeded crops to dry down. Rainfall and


Just Don’t Reach For The Ketchup Or Mayo

The American Chemical Society reports that just a couple of servings of spuds a day reduces blood pressure almost as much as oatmeal without causing weight gain. But don t reach for the ketchup, vinegar or mayonnaise. The research was not done with French fries, but with potatoes cooked without oil in a microwave oven.

In Brief… – for Sep. 15, 2011

Dryness dims Argentine wheat outlook:Much of Argentina s wheat belt is getting dry, with frosts hampering the healthy development of 2011-12 crops in some northern areas, the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange said last week. Without moisture on surface soils, the outlook for wheat yields is gradually deteriorating in the western crop belt, the exchange said


“Monstrous” Canola Yield Reports Pressure Futures

Canola futures on the ICE Futures Canada trading platform experienced a minor push to the downside during the week ended Sept. 9. Declines were influenced by the favourable weather for harvest operations, particularly in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and indications that some monstrous canola yields were being achieved. The larger-than-expected supply of canola in commercial and