U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports began reopening late on Thursday after dockworkers and port operators reached a wage deal to settle the industry's biggest work stoppage in nearly half a century, but clearing the cargo backlog will take time.
Grain handling
U.S. port strike ends leaving cargo backlog
Tentative deal includes 62 per cent wage hike over six years
China to grow more corn in 2024/25
Corn production in China is expected to increase to 293 million tonnes in 2024/25, said a report from the United States Department of Agriculture attache in Beijing, with improved yields overriding a slight reduction in harvested area.
Port workers to strike in Montreal
Workers at two Montreal port facilities are set to hold a three-day strike starting Sept. 30.
Canadian purchases of U.S. corn off to slow start
Canadian purchases of corn from the United States are off to a slow start in the 2024-25 marketing year, with ample old crop barley supplies likely limiting demand.
Feeling the pinch
Uncertainty across commodity and input markets creates difficult choices for farmers
Farmers are facing a tight squeeze this fall. Commodity prices are low, and the lower input prices that they’re used to this time of year are not materializing. Keystone Agricultural Producers president Jill Verwey says it’s a tough time for growers. “Being able to make a profit this year is going to be pretty slim,” […] Read more
Successful grain rescue shows value of training, awareness
Program demonstrates ‘reality and severity’ of grain entrapment
Grain entrapments don’t often have happy endings. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case for a grain entrapment on Feb. 9 in east-central Alberta. Chris Krushel, fire chief for the Edgerton Emergency Services Department, says a man had entered a grain bin to clean it when he became caught in the grain. Thankfully, another person was present […] Read more
Low water on Mississippi River impacts barges, grain exports ahead of harvest
Chicago | Reuters – Low water conditions have led to several barges running aground along a key stretch of the lower Mississippi River, the U.S. Coast Guard told Reuters on Wednesday, just as the busiest U.S. grain export season gets underway. Low water levels are slowing export-bound barge shipments of grain and oilseeds from the […] Read more
Ukraine boosts grain exports despite intensified Russian attacks
Kyiv/London | Reuters – Ukraine is scrambling to ship as much grain as it can this summer, taking advantage of military gains it has made in the Black Sea area to boost exports even as Russia has attacked its ports. Ukraine is a major global wheat and corn grower and before Russia’s invasion in 2022 […] Read more
Federal labour board ruling opens door to rail strike
CN, CPKC warn of lockouts starting Aug. 22 unless progress is made
Glacier FarmMedia — Workers at Canada’s two major railways could be on strike or locked out as early as Aug. 22, following a decision by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) issued Aug. 9 on the safety implications of a stoppage. Following a request in May from the federal government for such a review, the […] Read more
Farm growth pushes farmers to bring grain handling and conditioning home
As farms have increased in size, their storage requirements now mean far greater quantities of a single crop, whether it be canola or wheat. This means higher capacity, flat-bottomed bins. These are often centrally located, with larger capacity handling equipment and sometimes permanently installed handling equipment.