Ag Growth International (AGI), the Winnipeg parent company for several well known grain handling equipment and storage brands, is going to a single standard wall type for its galvanized steel bins in the North American market. The walls of steel bins AGI sells up here in Canada and in “select northern states” under the Westeel […] Read more

AGI standardizes steel bins
Geared-down expectations
What are other machinery manufacturers telling their shareholders to expect as they plow ahead into 2024? CNH (Case IH, New Holland) For its first quarter (Q1) ending March 31, CNH said sales volumes in North America were down two per cent for higher-horsepower (over 140 hp) tractors, and down 15 per cent for lower-horsepower tractors, […] Read more

Prairie soil scientist and author Les Henry, 83
Henry's outreach to farmers spanned more than half a century
Glacier FarmMedia — Saskatchewan soil scientist Les Henry, well known for his work on improving Prairie farmland and his outreach to Prairie farmers in the pages of Grainews, has died. Ending a long fight with congestive heart failure, Henry died Friday in Saskatoon at age 83, having continued to write until very shortly before his […] Read more

Soil scientist and Grainews columnist Les Henry, 1940-2024
Henry's outreach to farmers spanned more than half a century
Saskatchewan soil scientist Les Henry, well known for his work on improving Prairie farmland and his outreach to Prairie farmers in the pages of Grainews, has died. Ending a long fight with congestive heart failure, Henry died Friday in Saskatoon at age 83, having continued to write until very shortly before his passing. Born in […] Read more
Would Bunge have to get out of G3?
Good question. While we don’t yet have an answer, the federal Competition Bureau’s recent language suggests Bunge’s continued part-ownership of G3 would be a regulatory sore spot in a merger with Viterra. The basic background: U.S.-based Bunge, the “B” in the “ABCD” group of companies that handle the bulk of global grain trade, last June […] Read more

Editor’s Rant: Strike one, two, three, et cetera
By the time the paper version of this issue reaches you (around May 28), we’ll probably know whether Canada’s rail engineers, conductors and yard workers have reached a new collective bargaining agreement, or hit the picket line for yet another strike, or been legislated back to work. Prairie grain farmers have already seen this movie […] Read more

Broadleaf herbicide formulations set for cereal crops
Corteva, Adama launch new combination products
A combo of Group 4 and 2 actives is Corteva Agriscience’s latest entry for spring and winter wheat and barley growers in the Prairies’ Black and Grey soil zones to use against broadleaf weeds. Extinguish XL, launched in mid-March, is billed as a “pre-formulated, all-in-one application that delivers control of tough weeds like cleavers, dandelion, […] Read more

Editor’s Rant: Fluency in flu
When this issue hits your mailbox (on or around May 7), we’ll be at about the peak of one of the best meteor showers Earth sees this year. Wishing on shooting stars is silly at best, but if I see one — other than my standing wish for seven bucks and the winning 6/49 ticket […] Read more

Editor’s Rant: On the payment plan
As much as I get the general idea behind raising interest rates to keep inflation in check, I do have to wonder if the Bank of Canada and other central banks quite grasp how much their rate hikes over the past couple of years have driven and continue to drive up the cost of literally […] Read more

Editor’s Rant: Product placement
It’s been many, many years since I was foolish enough to think I might have all the answers. In this space, be prepared to see me asking questions. At the very least — though I’ve also long since given up the idea of ever appearing on Jeopardy! — my responses will often be in the […] Read more