(File photo)

Steady sunflower acreage expected

CNS Canada — Manitoba’s sunflower market is holding steady for the time being, with acres likely unchanged on the year despite shifts in the processing sector. PepsiCo last week announced it will shut its Spitz sunflower seed processing plant at Bow Island in southeastern Alberta and shift its production to the U.S. Meanwhile, Manitoba has […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Simplot to supersize Portage la Prairie fry plant

U.S. agrifood giant J.R. Simplot plans to bulk up its potato processing footprint in southern Manitoba with a $460 million plant expansion. The company and the provincial government on Wednesday announced construction will begin this spring on a 280,000-square foot expansion at its 180,000-square foot french fry processing plant at Portage la Prairie. The expansion, […] Read more



Cargill’s elevator at Oakner, Man., about 10 km south of Hamiota. (Hamiota.com)

Cargill to expand western Manitoba elevator

Agrifood firm Cargill expects to provide more marketing opportunities for western Manitoba growers — particularly of soybeans — with a major elevator expansion. The U.S. company’s Winnipeg-based Canadian arm on Thursday announced it will put up $15 million to add 9,000 tonnes of storage capacity to its 13,500-tonne capacity elevator at Oakner, Man., about 70 […] Read more



Bestland Air’s facility near Starbuck, Man. (Photo courtesy Richardson International)

Richardson buys Winnipeg-area input retailer

An independent crop input retailer is being merged into one of its neighbours near Winnipeg as grain firm Richardson International continues on a retail expansion track. Privately-held Richardson announced Dec. 11 it has closed a deal to buy the retail assets of Bestland Air Ltd. at Starbuck, Man., about 30 km southwest of Winnipeg. Bestland […] Read more


(Canada Beef Inc. photo)

Feed barley in sync with Manitoba corn

CNS Canada — This year’s bumper harvest of Manitoba corn is making an impact at Alberta feedlots. According to Market Place Commodities at Lethbridge, feed barley prices are near the $215 per tonne mark, down $5 from a few weeks ago. “Corn is filling some of the volume demand, so it is keeping the price […] Read more

Brent and Kirsty Oswald, along with their children Taylor, 9, and Brenden, 6, run a mixed dairy and grain farm near Steinbeck, Man.

Canada’s OYF: Nominees from Manitoba

Brent and Kirsty Oswald are always looking for dairy efficiencies

Dairy farmers, Brent and Kirsty Oswald have been chosen as Manitoba’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2017. Brent, 35 and Kirsty, 31 operate Cottonwood Holsteins Ltd., a third-generation mixed grain and dairy farm near Steinbach. The Oswalds milk 140 cows and seed just under 2,500 acres of grain land. Their focus has always been on getting better […] Read more