A new Manitoba lab with federal, provincial and canola industry backing has been opened with the goal of staying a step ahead of canola diseases such as clubroot and verticillium wilt. The federal and Manitoba governments on Thursday announced $969,000 for equipment, including a polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) machine, and $250,000 for research at the […] Read more
Manitoba canola pest lab backed for equipment, research
Husband of B.C. woman with H7N9 also infected
Toronto | Reuters –– The husband of a woman who tested positive for the H7N9 avian flu virus earlier this week was also infected, likely from a common source during their visit to China, federal and provincial officials confirmed Friday. The couple, residents of British Columbia, exhibited symptoms one day apart and likely did not […] Read more
Wheat basis muddied in Western Canada
CNS Canada — The difference between futures markets and cash markets for any exchange-traded commodities can usually be brought into focus by the basis — that is, except in Prairie wheat, where that focus has now gone fuzzy. Typically, a wide or narrow basis provides some indication of how representative the futures market is of […] Read more
Ont. to seek community ownership for ex-Guelph ag campuses
With recommendations in hand, the Ontario government plans to clear a path for the use of two soon-to-be-former University of Guelph ag campuses as new community-backed ag schools. The province on Friday laid out its response to last month’s recommendations from its appointed facilitators, Lyle Vanclief and Marc Godbout, on the future of Guelph’s Kemptville […] Read more
Aggressive herd expansion reverses shrinking U.S. cattle supply
Chicago | Reuters — Affordable feed and record-high spikes in cattle prices in 2014 encouraged U.S. ranchers to increase their herds at a faster pace than previously expected during the past year, analysts said in response to a government yearly cattle report on Friday. Expansion efforts by producers helped turnaround the seven-year decline in the […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat, corn, soy fall on month-end fund selling
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat, corn and soybean futures fell to multi-month lows Friday on commodity fund liquidation at the month’s end amid ample world stocks and fears of slowing growth, traders said. “We are building in record crops in South America, and we are washing out some spec length. Nobody can look at […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle post gains after wild ride
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished higher on Friday after an up-and-down session, ultimately supported by short-covering and futures’ discounts to cash prices, traders said. February closed 1.325 cents per pound higher at 154.85 cents, and April up 1.775 cents, to 152.275 cents (all figures US$). This week, packers paid […] Read more
U.S. defense of COOL goes to WTO in February
The U.S. government will have its day at the World Trade Organization next month, as its defense of its mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) laws for retail meat is now booked for an oral hearing. The WTO’s Appellate Body division has scheduled its hearing of the U.S. government’s appeal for Feb. 16 and 17 at WTO […] Read more
JBS expands Utah beef plant as cattle supply squeezes rivals
Chicago | Reuters –– JBS USA, one of the top U.S. meat processors, said Thursday it will expand a Utah beef processing facility, even as some of its rivals have been shuttering plants because of tight cattle supplies. The project is notable because the U.S. cattle herd has fallen to its smallest size since 1951, […] Read more
All crops not equal in face of weakening dollar
CNS Canada –– With the Canadian dollar falling to its weakest levels relative to its U.S. counterpart in six years, the general sentiment holds it should be good news for exporters, such as Canadian grain farmers. However, any net benefit may depend on what exactly is being exported and who is doing the buying, according […] Read more