Crops & Production Tips

EU lifts wheat, barley, rapeseed yield outlook

By Reuters, GFM Network News April 27, 2015

Paris | Reuters — The European Union’s crop monitoring service on Monday lifted its yield forecasts for this year’s soft wheat, barley and rapeseed harvests with growing conditions remaining mostly favourable despite a recent dry spell. Yields will stay below levels seen in 2014, when the EU posted record production in several crops, but exceed […] Read more

Ontario’s Trade Minister Michael Chan and Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal check out Ontario VQA wine on sale at a BHG grocery store in Beijing on April 18. (Ontario.ca)

Crops, Fruit/Vegetables, Grapes, Markets, Reuters

China’s wine growers beat France into second place

By GFM Network News April 27, 2015

Paris | Reuters — China overtook France last year as the world’s second largest wine grower by area under cultivation as it continued to plant vast fields of mostly imported grape vines to meet growing demand. The world’s second largest economy, which since 2013 consumes more red wine than any other country, has more than […] Read more

A scene from “The Scarecrow,” Chipotle’s 2013 video short. (YouTube)

Crops, Markets, Reuters

Chipotle goes GMO-free in first for U.S. fast-food sector

By GFM Network News April 27, 2015

Reuters — Chipotle Mexican Grill on Monday said the 46 ingredients used in its roughly 1,800 restaurants were now free of genetically modified organisms, becoming the first major U.S. restaurant chain to make that switch. U.S. diners, particularly those in the sought-after young millennial generation, are seeking fresh foods that are less processed and more […] Read more

Crops, Markets, Reuters

U.S. grains: Corn, wheat fall to six-month lows on weather

By Michael Hirtzer, GFM Network News April 27, 2015

Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. corn and wheat futures fell on Monday to their lowest levels since October, on outlooks for speedy corn plantings in the U.S. Midwest and crop-friendly rains in the southern Plains wheat belt. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn futures extended declines to their sixth straight session amid forecasts for dry […] Read more

Canola, Crops, Markets, Soybeans

ADM to upgrade crush plants for soy

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News April 27, 2015

Archer Daniels Midland plans to get ahead of increased soy acreage on the Prairies by upgrading two crushing plants to handle more soybeans. The U.S. agrifood firm said Monday it will upgrade its processing plant at Enderlin, N.D., about 80 km southwest of Fargo, to crush soybeans as well as canola and sunflower seed. At […] Read more

Crops, Machinery

Arbitrator named for CP talks with running trades

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News April 25, 2015

The federal government has named its arbitrator to settle a new contract between Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and its conductors, engineers, trainmen and yardmen. Labour Minister Kellie Leitch on Monday appointed lawyer and professional mediator George Adams as the arbitrator and mediator for talks between CP and its 3,800 unionized running trades workers, represented by […] Read more

Crops, Markets

Owen Sound, Baie-Comeau in revamped port sale program

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News April 24, 2015

Two ports hosting grain terminals are up for sale and possibly divestiture under a new federal program to get out of the port business. Transport Minister Lisa Raitt on Friday announced a new Ports Asset Transfer Program (PATP) to “facilitate the transfer” of port facilities to other owners or levels of government, naming 50 ports […] Read more

Crops

“Spending” phosphorus fertilizer from the soil

We’ve greatly increased the spending from our capital accounts of phosphorus 

By Les Henry April 24, 2015

In my previous column, we established that phosphorus fertilization comes down to simple arithmetic: If we haul more phosphorus off to the elevator than we put on in fertilizer or manure, the phosphorus (P) soil test will go down and with it the crop yield potential. If we add more P than we haul away, over […] Read more

Crops, Pulses

New fababean varieties coming

New varieties of fababeans are being evaluated in AARD variety tests

By Melanie Epp April 24, 2015

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (AARD) has AARD has a unique business model — they work with breeders from both private and government organizations in Canada and overseas. Now, they’re evaluating fababean varieties to see which ones have the best fit under Alberta’s conditions. Mark Olson, unit head, pulse crops, has been working closely with collaborators, […] Read more

Cereals, News

Winter wheat stripe rust update

Four Alberta counties reporting, fungicide applications may be necessary in some cases

By Mike Harding April 24, 2015

Stripe rust on winter wheat has now been reported in the following counties: Cardston, Lethbridge, Lacombe, and Warner. Additionally, there was a report of potential stripe rust in the Edmonton area and there is some evidence that stripe rust overwintered in Alberta again this year. Frequent scouting of winter wheat fields across the province is […] Read more

Daily Network News

Iran says Strait of Hormuz open as Trump sees deal ‘soon’ to end war

Agriculture groups welcome seed, fertilizer approval bill

AAFC projects tighter canola stocks for 2026-27