Harvested Saskatchewan lentils. (Bobloblaw/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Canada’s lentils face competition

MarketsFarm — Acreage and production of lentils in Canada are expected to mostly remain the same for the 2021-22 crop year. While strong demand during the COVID-19 pandemic has bolstered prices over the past year, increased production from competing exporters may cut into that buying interest going forward. Elyce Simpson Fraser, senior vice-president of Simpson […] Read more

Robin Cristo says it was a challenge to pick up the lowest pods with combines equipped with flex headers without also picking up rocks in the field.

Soybeans have potential, but need a bit of work

Southwest Saskatchewan producers say crop not suited to dry mid-summer conditions

Soybeans are close to having a good fit in southern Saskatchewan crop rotations, but two farmers who grew the crop for several years, say it would be good if plant breeding could improve drought tolerance and really good if there was a way to get lower pods on the plant stem at least a little […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Feds predict three per cent increase in canola acres

Stocks nevertheless expected to tighten

MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers will seed more canola in the upcoming 2021-22 crop year, but solid demand will still cause ending stocks to tighten, according to the first new-crop supply/demand projections from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), released Monday. The department forecast seeded canola area in the spring of 2021 at 21.37 million acres, up […] Read more

As much as possible, prevent the spread of disease by reducing movement of soil between fields.

How to prevent, detect and manage aphanomyces

Q & A with an expert

Q: I’m hearing more about aphanomyces. How can I prevent the disease from becoming a problem on my farm? A: Aphanomyces is a serious soil-borne disease of peas and lentils that is becoming increasingly widespread in Western Canada. Aphanomyces euteiches is a root rot pathogen that thrives under wet conditions. Symptoms are often first detected […] Read more


New pulse crop options for growers in 2021

New pulse crop options for growers in 2021

Thirteen new pulses are available for Prairie producers, some with improved disease resistance and strong yields

Prairie producers looking to plant pulses in 2021 have a few new and notable options. SeedNet, SeCan, FP Genetics, Prairie Fava, Riddell Seed Company and Saskatchewan seed growers are bringing a combined total of 13 new pulses to the market in 2021. The coming year’s options include strong yielders and improved disease resistance. And one […] Read more

Pulse markets beating strong

Pulse markets beating strong

Pandemic turns spotlight on plant protein sources

UPDATED: Jan. 21, 2021: Markets for pulse crops in Canada and the United States should generally remain favourable over most of 2021 and even for several years beyond, says the head of the largest U.S. pulse crop processor. Jeff Van Pevenage, president and CEO of Columbia Grain International headquartered in Portland, Oregon, acknowledges while the […] Read more



Pea yields are challenged by disease, specifically with aphanomyces, which is a soil-borne disease that has long life in the soil. The creation of a resistant variety would be a game changer in the pea seed market.

Farmers’ needs drive variety trends

Q & A with an expert

Q: What makes the biggest little seed on the block? A: New grain varieties are constantly entering the marketplace. These varieties bring new innovations including updated disease resistance and yield improvements. But what makes certain varieties stand out over others and their names well known? It is the balance of all desired traits into varieties […] Read more


(iStock photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: Canada’s exports solid through first quarter

MarketsFarm — Canadian pulse exports were leaving at the country at a solid pace through the first three months of the 2020-21 marketing year, according to the latest Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) monthly data. Canada exported 343,000 tonnes of peas in October, taking the 2020-21 year-to-date total to 1.136 million tonnes. That’s up by about […] Read more

A view from Globeways Canada’s office at Mississauga, Ont., from a 2011 video marking the presentation of the Mississauga Board of Trade’s award for Small Business of the Year. (MBOT video screengrab via YouTube)

Suspended pulse crop handlers partly reinstated

Companies can't buy or receive more grain from growers

Three suspended pulse and special crop handling and processing companies are again licensed to move Canadian grain — but not to buy any. The Canadian Grain Commission announced Monday it has reinstated the licences for Globeways Canada Inc. and its subsidiaries: Canpulse Foods Ltd., a pulse and canary seed processor at Kindersley, Sask., and Global […] Read more