Demand and prices are positive for peas — but seed is in short supply

There’s good money to be made in peas these days but producers such as Jason Hodsen 
are struggling to find sufficient supplies of seed

A small green and yellow pea crop in 2012 and increased demand is pushing old-crop prices to new heights this spring, while limiting the amount of available seed. “There is a potential for a very strong market for the next few years,” Jackie Kress, senior grain manager for Legumex Walker, said at the recent Wild

Richardson Pioneer, Seed Depot working on Faller IP program

All the contracted seed will be delivered to Richardson Pioneer, 
which is selling it to British baker Warburtons

Richardson Pioneer, in co-operation with Seed Depot, expects to contract around 10,000 acres of Faller, an unregistered, American wheat, through a new identity-preserved (IP) program this spring, says Peter Entz, Richardson International’s assistant vice-president of seed and traits. “It’s going to work like any other identity-preserved program,” Entz said in an interview Feb. 27 on


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

Dry soils, high prices prompt farmers’ return to wheat and durum

Farmers in drier regions of the 
western Prairies flirted with canola 
but are turning back to the tried and true

Attractive prices and weather issues are expected to help farmers in Canada take a serious look at seeding more acres to wheat this summer than in previous years, according to industry sources. “Last year a lot of farmers took a chance with canola given the high financial returns, but the drier-than-anticipated conditions across parts of


Egypt bakers threaten strikes to protest missed payments

Reuters / Egyptian bakers are threatening strike action unless the government meets demands including back payment of financial incentives, raising the prospect of fresh unrest in the crisis-ridden north African country. Abdullah Ghorab, head of the bakers’ association which represents 25,000 private bakeries across the country, said imminent strike action has been postponed following a



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

Wheat could be the next canola

Industry insiders say $2.2 billion will be pumped into wheat research in the coming decade and that will be a game changer

If research into the crop pays off, King Wheat is ready to elbow aside canola, say some industry experts. Seed and chemical companies are pumping up their research and will soon be turning out new seed varieties, treatments and fungicides, Todd Ormann, head of crop portfolio for cereals at Syngenta Canada, told attendees at the


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