The agriculture and rural development critic for Alberta’s official Wildrose opposition has crossed the floor to the governing Tories. Little Bow MLA Ian Donovan announced his defection from the Wildrose on Monday to the Progressive Conservatives alongside Innisfail-Sylvan Lake MLA Kerry Towle, Wildrose’s critic for human services and seniors. “In order to maintain my integrity, […] Read more
Alta. Wildrose ag critic joins Tories
Uralkali prepares to start repairs at damaged potash mine
Berezniki, Russia | Reuters — Russia’s Uralkali, the world’s biggest potash producer, is preparing to start repair work at part of the damaged Solikamsk-2 mine, though it is unclear when output of the fertilizer will restart. Production at the mine was halted last week after an inflow of water at the mine, which accounts for […] Read more
Klassen: Strong demand at feature calf sales
Last week saw many auction barns holding their largest volumes of the year and there was no shortage of buying interest at these feature sales. Major feedlot operators were aggressively shopping because quality and risk sentiment appear to be more favourable this time of year. Calves have withstood adverse winter conditions for a couple of […] Read more
CWRS wheat bids edge down in Western Canada
CNS Canada — Average cash bids for Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat moved lower during the week ended Friday, with adjustments to basis levels behind much of the declines. In Manitoba, the average CWRS price declined to $232 per tonne, from $234 the previous week. Similar losses were noted across the rest of the […] Read more
El Nino to bring cold and dry conditions to Prairies
CNS Canada –– While speculation continues to swirl over the impact El Nino will have on North America, one weather expert says it’s still a month or two away from taking shape. “Nino is likely to evolve; until that happens, the warmer and drier bias we normally associate with it won’t be in place,” said […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn falls on ample supplies, poor export demand
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn futures fell on Monday for a second straight session on lacklustre export demand and plentiful U.S. supplies as a record-large harvest wound down, traders said. Soybeans and wheat also declined. At the CBOT, December corn settled down 5-1/4 cents at $3.67-1/2 per bushel (all figures US$). […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle slump on profit-taking
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures settled lower Monday, weighed down by profit-taking and fund liquidation, traders said. December closed 1.4 cents per pound lower at 169.5 cents, and February off 2.125 cents at 170.025 cents (all figures US$). Investors initially sold February and simultaneously bought December, which is known as […] Read more
Prairie farm leaders peg water damage in the billions
CNS Canada — Farm leaders from Manitoba and Saskatchewan hope a new lobby group of stakeholders from both provinces can bring some long-term solutions to excess water problem that have led to billions of dollars in damages. Last week about 150 people met in Regina to discuss the way forward for the Assiniboine River Basin […] Read more
ADM suing Syngenta over rejections of GMO corn
Reuters — Archer Daniels Midland sued seed company Syngenta on Wednesday over sales of a genetically modified corn variety not approved for import by China, joining more than 100 farmers and exporters in pursuing damages from the Swiss company. The lawsuit alleges Syngenta commercialized the MIR162 corn variety, also known as Agrisure Viptera, without creating […] Read more
Newly appointed Iraq grain board chief removed
London | Reuters — Iraq’s newly appointed Grain Board chief has been removed from his post after less than a week, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Thursday, in another sign of turmoil in the body responsible for state imports of vital commodities. Muthanna Jabbar, appointed just last week, was replaced […] Read more