Yara’s headquarters in Oslo. (Yara.com)

Yara to stop buying potash from Belarus due to sanctions

Fertilizer firm buys 10-15 per cent of country's potash output

Oslo | Reuters — Norwegian fertilizer maker Yara said on Monday it will wind down purchases of potash from Belarus by April 1 as international sanctions made it impossible to continue the trade. Yara estimates that it buys 10-15 per cent of the annual output of state-owned Belaruskali, one of the world’s largest producers of […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Canada resists pressure to drop vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers

Ottawa | Reuters — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pushing ahead with a vaccine mandate for international truckers despite increasing pressure from critics who say it will exacerbate driver shortages and drive up the price of goods imported from the United States. Canada will require all truckers entering from the U.S. to show proof […] Read more


FCL’s Co-op Fertilizer Terminal at Brandon. (Photo courtesy Federated Co-operatives Ltd.)

Fertilizer prices to remain high for now

MarketsFarm — There are two factors to consider when it comes to fertilizer. One is the cost as it’s to remain quite expensive at least through the first quarter of 2022, according to Chris Lawson, head of fertilizers for the CRU Group. The other is its availability, said Todd Lewis, president of the Agricultural Producers […] Read more

Mayo Schmidt, shown here speaking in Winnipeg in 2007, has “left his position” as Nutrien’s CEO and resigned from its board, the company said Jan. 4. (Dave Bedard file photo)

Nutrien makes surprise CEO switch again despite strong profits

Abrupt change 'mighty perplexing' to analysts

Reuters — Canada’s Nutrien, the world’s biggest fertilizer producer by capacity, surprised investors by replacing its chief executive on Tuesday for the second time in eight months, even as the company rakes in strong profits. Nutrien said in a statement it named Ken Seitz, the head of its potash business, as interim chief executive after […] Read more


Flaman compartment

Flaman offers complete sprayer tenders

Sprayer tender trailer designs based on farmer input

The best way to maximize the number of acres covered by a sprayer in a workday is to reduce refill times. That keeps the sprayer moving and applying product, and a few tender systems have appeared on the market over the years from a variety of brands and suppliers to speed up those refill times. […] Read more

Yara’s fertilizer terminal at Stockton, California. (Sebastian Braum photo, Yara.com)

Yara brings most European ammonia production back on stream

Rising fertilizer prices make resumption profitable

Oslo | Reuters — Yara has brought most of its European ammonia production back on line after prices of finished fertilizers rose to make up for a surge in the cost of gas, the Norwegian fertilizer manufacturer said on Wednesday. The company cut back ammonia production at a number of sites in Europe from September […] Read more


Soil testing will be more important than ever this fall or next spring.

Three factors growers should focus on next year

Q & A with an expert

Q: What critical issues will farmers face in 2022? A: I’d like to start off by saying that 2021 was a memorable year. There were drought conditions recorded across Western Canada, supply challenges for many products and commodity prices never seen before. Now as we look forward to 2022, there will be other challenges that […] Read more

(RoyalFair.org video screengrab via YouTube)

AgriCommunication plan to seek farmer-consumer dialogue

Ag exhibitions among expected beneficiaries

The federal government has put up new funding toward improving consumers’ awareness of the “strengths” of Canada’s ag sector — and to improve farmer awareness of what those consumers want and expect. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Thursday announced an $8 million, three-year funding envelope for the first of two streams of what’s now called […] Read more


The Blair’s agro centre at Lipton, Sask. (Blairs.ag)

Buyer found for ag retailer Blair’s contested outlet

ProSoils to buy Blair's location at Lipton, Sask.

Crop input retail chain Blair’s Crop Solutions has a deal in place to sell one of its eastern Saskatchewan sites to meet its obligation to federal regulators. The chain, a joint venture between Federated Co-operatives and the Blair’s Family of Companies, announced Monday it will sell its site at Lipton, Sask., about 80 km west […] Read more

(Alexey Rezvykh/iStock/Getty Images)

Farmers ask U.S. Justice Department to probe fertilizer price spikes

Reuters — Farmers have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether recent spikes in fertilizer prices are attributable to market manipulation by fertilizer companies, according to a letter sent Wednesday by the Family Farm Action Alliance. The group, which has more than 6,000 farmer and rural members, alleges fertilizer companies are setting prices […] Read more