Our three experts have pinpointed fusarium head blight as the No. 1 disease to watch out for this year — but keep an eye on these ones, too.
Cereals
Three more crop diseases to watch for in 2017
Strong demand keeps Prairie feed barley well supported
CNS Canada — Feed barley bids remain well supported in Western Canada, as solid demand and reluctant farmer selling keep the market underpinned heading into the summer months. “There is pretty decent demand. I’d say higher than average for this time of year,” said Brandon Motz, sales manager with CorNine Commodities in Lacombe, Alta. Strong […] Read more
Crop Advisor’s Casebook: Dealing with damaged durum
A Crop Advisor's Solution from the March 14, 2017 issue of Grainews
Don’s 3,000-acre mixed farm can be found south of Weyburn, Sask., near the U.S. border. He called me last June after he discovered patches of yellowing durum wheat plants in his field. Don had sprayed the crop at the three-leaf stage with a tank mix of Groups 1, 2 and 4 herbicides to control grasses […] Read more
Spring wheat futures climb to two-year highs
CNS Canada — Spring wheat futures in Minneapolis climbed to their highest levels in nearly two years during the week ended Friday, as weather concerns in major U.S. wheat-growing states provided support. The nearby July contract on Thursday hit a session high of US$6.1775 per bushel, the strongest level for the front-month spring wheat contract […] Read more
Egypt’s wheat imports again uncertain as ergot ban looms
Cairo | Reuters — An Egyptian court has decided to reinstate a zero tolerance policy on common grain fungus ergot, lawyers on the case told Reuters on Tuesday, plunging trade with the world’s largest wheat importer back into uncertainty. Egypt last year scrapped a ban on ergot in grain imports after it effectively halted purchase […] Read more
Consultations sought on grading U.S. wheat imports
Grain industry consultations are needed before the Canada Grain Act is amended to allow imported U.S. wheat to receive a Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) grade, the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commssion says. “(W)e need to have public consultations to figure out the consequences of adding more American grain to our system,” Sask Wheat chair Bill Gehl […] Read more
U.S. asks Canada to end ‘underhanded’ dairy pricing class
Reuters — The United States has asked Canada to eliminate a new “underhanded” dairy-pricing class that has undercut sales by U.S. dairies to Canadian processors, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Monday. Perdue was speaking to reporters after he met with Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay in Toronto. Canada’s dairy farmers last year struck a […] Read more
Early U.S. winter wheat harvest supports low-protein fears
Chicago | Reuters — The earliest reports from the start of the U.S. hard red winter wheat harvest underscored industry fears of a second straight year of low protein, a factor that shifts the market’s focus to prospects for the North American spring wheat crop, a higher-protein variety. “It’s probably a foregone conclusion at this […] Read more
Flour recall widened to products from 11 loads of wheat
The maker of Robin Hood and other brands of flour is further widening a major product recall to cover products made from 11 loads of Canadian wheat. Ardent Mills and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on Saturday announced an expanded nationwide recall to include more varieties and sizes of Robin Hood, Golden Temple, Purity, […] Read more
Lower North American durum acres keep attention on yields
CNS Canada — North America’s smaller durum acreage base in 2017 could give prices a boost later in the growing season, depending on how yields shape up for the new crop, according to a U.S. analyst. Disease issues in 2016 and better projected returns for other crops in 2017 are expected to lead to a […] Read more