Winnipeg | Reuters –– Buyers of Canadian wheat are increasingly complaining about quality ever since Ottawa changed how its biggest crop is sold and inspected, raising the risk the world’s third largest exporter will lose sales to rivals such as the U.S. EDITOR’S NOTE: Click HERE to read a Dec. 5 letter to the editor […] Read more
Canada’s wheat exports dogged by quality complaints
P.E.I., Man. couples named Outstanding Young Farmers
After a year-long nationwide competition, a P.E.I. couple in a potato growing and processing partnership, and a Manitoba couple building a seed growing and seed retailing business, are Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2014. Andrew and Heidi Lawless of Kinkora, P.E.I., both part of a partnership producing about 1,200 acres of potatoes, and Myron and […] Read more
Asian markets block Canadian poultry over bird flu
Reuters — Canada’s detection of avian influenza on two British Columbia farms has resulted in trade restrictions from several Asian markets, a government spokesman said Wednesday. South Korea has banned imports of Canadian chicks; Hong Kong and Taiwan have imposed trade restrictions on British Columbia poultry and poultry products; and Japan has imposed trade restrictions […] Read more
Two Fraser Valley farms quarantined with H5 avian flu
Federal officials have quarantined a turkey farm and a broiler breeder farm in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley after both were confirmed with outbreaks of an H5 strain of avian influenza. The quarantines, announced Tuesday, follow death losses of “over half” of the 11,000 birds at the turkey farm near Abbotsford, and of about 1,000 of […] Read more
Cargill recalling beef sold at Walmarts in Canada
Reuters — Cargill, Canada’s biggest beef processor, is recalling ground beef sold by Wal-Mart Stores that may be contaminated with E. coli, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said Tuesday. The agency said there have not been any reported illnesses associated with Cargill Meat Solutions’ “Your Fresh Market” brand beef, sold at Walmart in Alberta, […] Read more
Prairie flax prices strong as farmers sit on supplies
CNS Canada — Flax prices in Western Canada are staying strong, with a lack of significant farmer selling supporting the market. “It seems as though the farmers are just sitting on their inventory and not bringing it in, so the prices are moving up,” said Richard Zacharias, general manager of Prairie Flax Products near Portage […] Read more
Brazil regulator lifts suspension of JBS Foods’ IPO
Sao Paulo | Reuters –– Brazil securities regulator CVM on Tuesday lifted its suspension of the initial public offering for JBS SA’s processed food unit, JBS Foods, as long as the company holds off taking orders for investment until after Christmas. CVM suspended the share offering Nov. 24, after the company’s CEO breached regulations by […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Profit-taking undercuts CME live cattle
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle turned lower on Tuesday on profit-taking that wiped out Monday’s gains, traders said. Prospective futures buyers clung to the sidelines, given the morning’s wholesale beef values pullback and unprofitable packer margins that could weigh on this week’s cash prices. Last week, market-ready, or cash, cattle in […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soy, corn plunge on South American weather, technicals
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures dropped 2.1 per cent to their lowest in more than five weeks on Tuesday on good conditions for growth in Brazil and Argentina, technical pressure and a steep decline in soyoil prices, traders said. The South American weather also weighed on corn futures, while wheat backed off on […] Read more
Upward revisions expected in StatsCan report
CNS Canada –– Canada’s major agricultural crops likely yielded a bit better than earlier estimates, and most industry participants anticipate Statistics Canada’s production numbers will be revised higher in a report due out Thursday. However, the extent of those adjustments could be limited. “The (production) numbers will probably go up for all commodities… wheat, durum, […] Read more