Weather & Production Tips

This year’s El Nino could be strongest on record

By GFM Network News September 1, 2015

Geneva | Reuters — The current El Nino weather phenomenon is expected to peak between October and January and could turn into one of the strongest on record, experts from the World Meteorological Organization said at a news conference Tuesday. Climate models and experts suggest surface waters in the east-central Pacific Ocean are likely to […] Read more

Belinda Cay, at right. (Lisa Guenther photo)

Crops, Weather

Youth Ag-Summit: How Australian ag benefits from biotech

By Lisa Guenther, GFM Network News August 28, 2015

A speaker at the international Youth-Ag Summit in Canberra, Belinda Cay of the Grains Research and Development Corporation of Australia discusses how new crop varieties have improved yields on that continent, including on her own family’s farm.

Barley, Crops, Markets, Weather

High protein, high yields seen in early malt barley

By GFM Network News August 27, 2015

CNS Canada –– High protein levels could prove a challenge for Canadian maltsters this year, but the quality of the country’s malt barley crop is generally looking better than had been expected as harvest activity starts up across the Prairies, according to a broker. “Everything is high, high, high; high yields, high plump, high bushel […] Read more

Crops, Weather

Rain in Sask., Man. stalls harvest, causes crop damage

By GFM Network News August 25, 2015

CNS Canada — Rain in Manitoba and Saskatchewan has stalled harvest and caused crop damage, but moving forward, conditions should improve, two industry specialists predict. Shannon Friesen, a regional crops specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Moose Jaw, said recent rains have delayed harvest and stalled maturity in some crops. Producers have found peas and canola […] Read more

Canola, Crops, Markets, Spring Wheat, Weather

StatsCan production estimates ‘too low’ for canola, wheat

By GFM Network News August 21, 2015

CNS Canada — Statistics Canada released its first survey-based production estimates for the 2015-16 crop year Friday morning, with canola and wheat figures coming in at the lower end of expectations. But the grain trade is shrugging off the report, as it believes final production numbers for most crops will be larger than what Statistics […] Read more

Crops, Machinery, Markets, Weather

Ships’ sailing season starts soon at Churchill

By GFM Network News August 20, 2015

CNS Canada –– Manitoba’s Port of Churchill is almost ready to start moving grain this season, as ships are expected to go out within the next 10 days, the port’s operator said. “The elevator is starting to fill up and the rail cars are lining up for delivery on time. We’ve got ships predicted to […] Read more

Crops, Markets, Weather

Trade expects mostly smaller crops in StatsCan report

By GFM Network News August 20, 2015

CNS Canada –– Statistics Canada will release its first survey-based Canadian crop production estimates for 2015-16 on Friday, and figures for most major crops are expected to be down compared to last year. Yields are likely to be all over the map as weather conditions varied vastly from region to region during the growing season. […] Read more

Crops, Markets, Reuters, Weather

U.S. grains: Midwest’s weather weighs down corn, soybeans

By GFM Network News August 17, 2015

Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. soybean futures were slightly higher on Monday as early support from government data on unplanted acres was largely offset by pressure from a rainy U.S. Midwest forecast that should bolster the crop at a key stage of development. Corn closed weak, anchored by favourable crop weather, while wheat shed more […] Read more

Crops, News, Weather

Weather helping crops develop, cereal crop harvest progressing well

Saskatchewan Crop Report for the week ending August 10

By Saskatchewan Agriculture August 14, 2015

Producers now have four per cent of the 2015 crop combined and five per cent swathed or ready to straight-cut, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weekly Crop Report. Sixty-two per cent of the fall rye, 34 per cent of the winter wheat, 19 per cent of the field peas and 17 per cent of the lentils […] Read more

Crops, Markets, Reuters, Weather

Severe ‘food shocks’ seen more likely due to extreme weather

By GFM Network News August 14, 2015

London | Reuters — Extreme weather such as intense storms, droughts and heatwaves will cause more frequent and severe food shortages as the global climate and food supply systems change, British and U.S. experts warned Friday. The pressure on the world’s food supplies is so great, and the increase in extreme weather events so rapid, […] Read more

Daily Network News

Western Australia farmers turn to canola over wheat as fuel, fertilizer costs rise

U.S. is leading G20 initiative to ensure fertilizer access, sources say

Canadian farmers at slight revenue disadvantage to U.S. despite cheaper land costs

Weather