Unwanted rain is once again a theme of Manitoba Agriculture’s weekly crop report, with accumulations of 20 to as high as 100 mm reported in some areas. The rain interrupted or halted harvest in most areas. Many later-seeded crops are still maturing. Disease incidence is reported higher than normal, including from fusarium head blight which […] Read more
Manitoba continues to struggle with rain
Viterra declines comment on AWB
Viterra is well-positioned for further deals and continues to seek them, but is declining comment on whether it has any interest in bidding for AWB Ltd. “We certainly wouldn’t and couldn’t comment on our strategic initiatives,” Viterra CEO Mayo Schmidt said in a Reuters report Aug. 23. Viterra is already a major player in Australia […] Read more
Economist sees strong cattle prices for three to five years
Consumers may be eating less beef, but there is still good news in the cattle business, says Chris Hurt, an extension economist at Purdue University. In a Purdue release, Hurt says that after several years of financial difficulty, producers show no interest in rebuilding the herd. As a result, beef supplies will continue to decline […] Read more
Good export year ends, poor one looms: CWB
The Canadian Wheat Board says its exports for the crop year ending July 31 are at a 10-year high, but that they will be sharply lower in the coming year due to poor crop prospects in Western Canada. Exports of wheat, durum and barley for 2009-10 will total 18.8 million tonnes, the CWB said at […] Read more
Ontario extends risk management pilot program
The Ontario government say it is temporarily extending the Risk Management Program (RMP) pilot program for grain and oilseed producers for the 2010 crop year. The program helps farmers offset losses caused by low grain and oilseed commodity prices. In 2010, prices for grain and oilseed have dropped more than 25 per cent, significantly below […] Read more
Former Australian Wheat Board swallowed in merger
Australia’s largest grain company has been formed by the takeover of AWB by larger rival GrainCorp. The move is seen as an attempt to fend off domination of Australian grain trading by large international companies such as Glencore, Cargill, Bunge and Louis Dreyfus. Quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald, AWB managing director Gordon Davis said […] Read more
First vessel due in Churchill
Manitoba’s agriculture minister will be greeting the first vessel to arrive at the Port of Churchill this year. “The arrival of the first ship is an exciting time and an important marketing link for the grain produced in Manitoba and across the prairies,” Stan Struthers said in a release. The MV Federal Danube is scheduled to […] Read more
Candidate declares for CWB director elections
Terry Youzwa, a Nipawin, Sask.-area grain, oilseeds and pulse grower, has announced he will run as a candidate for District 7 director in this fall’s Canadian Wheat Board election. Youzwa was a director with Agricore United (formally UGG) from 1990 to 2007 and is a director of the Canola Council of Canada and SaskCanola. In […] Read more
Feds fund research for best barley in Japanese tipple
The federal government has announced funding of more that $1 million to the Alberta Barley Commission to identify barley varieties and develop markets for a Japanese specialty beverage market. A government release said the target market for the varieties is shochu, a popular Japanese drink derived from barley. While shochu is expected to be the […] Read more
Saturday is Food Day
The federal government is calling on Canadians to celebrate the eighth annual Food Day on Saturday, July 31. “What better day than Food Day to celebrate Canada’s hard working farm families and their important contribution to our economy, our country, and the health of consumers at home and around the world,” Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz […] Read more