Roquette’s pea processing plant near Portage la Prairie. (Photo courtesy Roquette Canada)

Pulse weekly outlook: New investments cause for optimism

Sector looking forward beyond challenges of 2021

MarketsFarm — Canada’s pulse industry had to endure more than its fair share of challenges and obstacles in 2021, domestic and abroad. Nevertheless, the national organization representing pulse growers, traders and processors feels the industry will be strong in the New Year. An already tight supply situation became tighter in 2021 as drought in Western […] Read more

(iStock photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: Expect little movement in prices during holidays

MarketsFarm — There were no surprises for pulses in Statistics Canada’s latest production report, according to Marlene Boersch of Mercantile Venture Consulting in Winnipeg. With that in mind, she doesn’t expect any significant price changes for pulses. “Part of the reason is we’re starting to glide into the holiday period. We’ll probably see some movement […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Canola declines, durum drops in new StatsCan estimates

Soybean, oats estimates raised

MarketsFarm — There were very few surprises in Statistics Canada’s latest principal field crop production estimates released Friday — the first in 2021-22 to use a survey of producers. Nevertheless, they quantified just how severe last summer’s drought was in Western Canada. Canola production for the 2021-22 marketing year was estimated to be 12.595 million […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Smaller crops likely in StatsCan survey-based report

MarketsFarm — Mindful of the summer drought conditions that seriously cut into crop production across the Prairies, average trade estimates call for downward revisions to Statistics Canada’s already-small forecasts for most crops when the it releases its first survey-based estimates of the marketing year on Friday. While prior reports, in September and August, were compiled […] Read more


File photo of a pea crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: Feed peas in short supply

Some feeders substituting soymeal

MarketsFarm — Hot and dry growing conditions cut into Canada’s pea production in 2021-22 — but the quality was relatively good, which means feed peas are in even shorter supply. “Yields were low across the harvest this year, but I’d say quality was quite good on yellow and green peas,” said a feed pea merchant. […] Read more

Canada is the world’s leader in producing and exporting lentils, with 95 per cent grown in Saskatchewan.

What is a ‘chameleon’ dish?

First We Eat: Take a basic recipe and change it up by adding different veggies and spices for a whole new taste

I’ve been benched. Perhaps you recall that last month’s column mentioned Mom’s and my West Coast holiday, specifically meeting a salmon fisher in Steveston. That morning we worked our way up and down the wharf, admiring the spot prawns and salmon despite having neither pans nor stovetop. We moved slowly, but not just to soak […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

AAFC lowers canola export forecast

Domestic canola usage raised; other crops largely unchanged

MarketsFarm — Canadian canola exports during the 2021-22 marketing year are forecast to be smaller than earlier projections, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) reported late Friday. Domestic usage, however, was raised in the report, keeping ending stocks of the crop steady with the October forecast. Total Canadian canola exports in 2021-22 are now forecast at […] Read more