(Dave Bedard photo)

StatsCan report to provide clarity on 2020 crop production

MarketsFarm — Market participants and producers will be looking to Statistics Canada’s principal field crop report, due out Thursday, for clarity regarding 2020 crop yields. “We’re looking to see how severely the heat damaged the crop, and how yield estimates were tempered later in the growing season,” said Jerry Klassen, an analyst in Winnipeg. Klassen […] Read more



(Serts/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Export demand supports lentils

India set to extend current tariff reductions

MarketsFarm — Lentil prices in Western Canada saw a counter-seasonal rally at the end of harvest and are likely to sustain that rally into winter. “Prices are going to keep going higher,” Darcy Barie, a commodity buyer with Verdient Foods at Vanscoy, Sask., said. Ahead of the 2020 harvest, red lentils were around 24 cents/lb. […] Read more

U.S.-based Impossible Foods, whose Impossible Burger is shown here on display at U.S. grocery chain Wegmans, launched the product at Canadian retail in late October 2020, selling exclusively at Sobeys stores until February 2021. (ImpossibleFoods.com)

CFIA to consult on new near-meat, non-meat guidelines

Clarity for labels, promotion, composition to be considered

“Greater clarity” in federal guidelines for the makeup and labels of “simulated” meat and poultry products is the end zone for a new round of consultations underway for the next month. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Tuesday announced the launch for the public consultation, which includes an online survey and runs until Dec. 3. […] Read more


Seed growers pick the year’s top performers

Seed growers pick the year’s top performers

Although most crops did quite well in 2020, a few varieties really stood out

On average, 2020 presented a pretty decent growing season, with decent yields and decent grain, oilseed and pulse crop quality, all contributing to a general sense of industry optimism, say seed growers across Western Canada. Region to region it wasn’t perfect — some excessive rains in the central Peace River region and parts of northern […] Read more

Anita Stewart. (FoodDayCanada.ca)

Canadian food laureate Anita Stewart, 73

Guelph flags to be lowered for Food Day Canada founder

Flags at the University of Guelph are to be flown at half-mast Tuesday in honour of Canadian food advocate Anita Stewart, who died Thursday in hospital in Hamilton. Stewart, 73, was the first person in the world to be conferred with the title of “food laureate,” as she was named by the University of Guelph […] Read more





Green lentils. (Alexey Shipilov/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Tight supplies push up green lentil prices

Summer exports 'unusually good'

MarketsFarm — Prices for green lentils in Western Canada have been on the upswing, with Lairds rising by between six and 12 cents/lb. “The summer exports were unusually good and are going fairly well right now,” said Marlene Boersch of Mercantile Consulting Venture Inc. in Winnipeg. “People are realizing overall green lentil supplies, primarily in […] Read more

The pea crop on the left side of the photo was treated with Nodulator Duo, which includes rhizobium as well as another bacteria that produces a root strengthening bio-film. The crop on the right side of the photo was treated with a competitive product that was rhizobium-only.

Biological power complements inoculants for pulse crops

Nitrogen-fixing rhizobia aren’t just for pulse and legume crops

While the 2020 crop may not be harvested and in the bin yet, early fall is still a good time to be thinking about the 2021 crop and lining up pulse crop inoculants for the coming growing season. Producers should be lining up inoculant needs this fall to avoid disappointment next spring. In addition to […] Read more