Cereals & Production Tips

In the summer, farmers can be so busy that they leave wheat in the bins too long or fail to check it regularly.

Grain in the bin still needs your attention

Once the crop is in the bin, it still needs attention and careful management

By Geoff Geddes February 13, 2017

Success with wheat crops has much in common with being a good parent: You can do everything else to raise them right, but if you spoil them it’s all for naught. “Wheat needs to be managed in storage or you risk a huge loss of revenue,” said Dr. Joy Agnew, Project Manager — Agricultural Research […] Read more

Barley, Crops, Features

Growing 180 bushels of barley

Barley 180 wants to know what it will take to top up Alberta barley yields

By Lisa Guenther February 10, 2017

A trip to New Zealand inspired a quest in Alberta for higher barley yields. New Zealand farmers can produce barley crops topping 200 bushels per acre. Granted, New Zealand has some climatic advantages over Western Canada. But Steve Larocque, owner of Beyond Agronomy, saw no reason that Alberta barley growers couldn’t aim higher. Together with […] Read more

Barley, News

Recommended barley varieties for 2017

By Leeann Minogue February 8, 2017

The Canadian Malt Barley Technical Centre has released its annual list of recommended barley seed varieties for the 2017 planting season. There are several two-row varieties on the CMBTC’s list (see table below), but only three recommended varieties of six-row barley. FP Genetics distributes pedigreed seed for two of these varieties, Legacy and Tradition. Canterra […] Read more

Canola, Cereals, Columns

Imports and exports by the numbers

Russia is rising and South American beans are finding easier pathways to the ports

By Brian Wittal February 8, 2017

Changes to grain handling and transportation infrastructure in two key regions of the world will impact Canada’s competitiveness. These areas are the Black Sea region and South America. Russia’s overall grain production (wheat, barley and corn) has grown 70 per cent in the last 10 years to 94.5 million tonnes. Exports have had their ups […] Read more

Cereals, Crops, News

Fusarium head blight as bad as it sounds

An Alberta study says fusarium can easily cost farmers $50/acre. What you can do?

By Geoff Geddes February 7, 2017

As demonstrated by terms like rhinorrhea, which is basically a runny nose, some conditions sound worse than they are. In the case of fusarium head blight (FHB), a cereal disease affecting small grains and corn, the nasty name fits like a glove. In her research work on plant pathology for The Grain Research Centre (CEROM) […] Read more

Canola, Cereals, News

Grain transportation mostly smooth in January

CN hopper car demand up, while CP car demand down from previous year

By Lisa Guenther February 6, 2017

Grain movement has been relatively smooth for much of January, according to the latest numbers from the Ag Transport Coalition. Canadian National (CN) has supplied over 90 per cent of hopper cars order between January 8th and 21st, according the Coalition’s reports for grain weeks 24 and 25. Canadian Pacific (CP) filled 73 per cent […] Read more

Canola, Cereals, Crops

Eight things to look for in your soil test report

By Ross H. McKenzie February 6, 2017

When you understand your soil reports, you’re in a better position to develop fertilizer plans with your agronomist. All soil testing labs report the same basic information, but each lab has its own unique format. No matter what your report looks like, first, check the information at the top: your name, address, field name, etc. […] Read more

Crops, Spring Wheat

Durum acres to decline in 2017

By GFM Network News February 3, 2017

CNS Canada –– Canadian farmers are sitting on large stocks of poor-quality durum, which should cut into acres seeded to the crop this spring. Durum stocks in the country, as of Dec. 31, 2016, came in at 6.9 million tonnes, marking a new record for that date, according to Statistics Canada data going back to […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Canola, Cereals, Crops, Markets

StatsCan canola stocks in line with expectations

By GFM Network News February 3, 2017

CNS Canada –– Canadian canola stocks may be tighter than a year ago and wheat stocks larger — but the updated numbers from Statistics Canada may also need more asterisks than normal. StatsCan, in a report released Friday, pegged Canadian canola supplies as of Dec. 31 at 12.159 million tonnes, down from 13.452 million at […] Read more

Cereals, Crops, Reuters

Four food firms said preparing bids for Weetabix

By GFM Network News January 28, 2017

London | Reuters — The third-biggest U.S. cereal company, Post Holdings, and the U.K.’s Associated British Foods are among a group of four bidders vying for British cereal brand Weetabix, sources familiar with the matter said Friday. The 84-year-old business could fetch at least 1.5 billion pounds (C$2.48 billion), based on a valuation of more […] Read more

GFM Network News

U.S. livestock: Live cattle correct higher

U.S. grains: Soybean futures hit one-month high on U.S.-China trade hopes

Pulse Weekly: AAFC forecast stands pat

Cereals