Barley south of Ethelton, Sask. on July 30, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

China hits Australia with barley tariff

Duty to last for five years; China may turn to Canada, other exporters

Beijing/Sydney | Reuters — China added to tensions with Australia on Monday by announcing anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties totalling 80.5 per cent on Australian barley imports from Tuesday (May 19), which is expected to all but halt a billion-dollar trade between them. China’s ministry of commerce said it had confirmed dumping by Australia and significant […] Read more



A file photo of cattle mustering in Australia’s Outback. (Hypedesk/iStock/Getty Images)

Australia requests China trade talks over beef, barley

Sydney | Reuters — Australia’s trade minister is seeking urgent talks with his Chinese counterpart after key agriculture exports were hit with suspensions and tariff threats, but said Australia will continue to push for an inquiry into the COVID-19 outbreak. Trade minister Simon Birmingham requested a telephone call with Chinese commerce minister Zhong Shan after […] Read more


Knowing emergence and mortality can help you deal with issues that may arise later, such as weed management and crop maturity, says Canola Council of Canada agronomist, Autumn Barnes.

Stand establishment: If it’s bad news, it’s better to know early on

Measuring emergence let’s you know what’s not working and helps to deal with issues this year

Reading Time: 4 minutes Scouting for disease, insects and weeds pays — and so does assessing plant stand establishment, says a Canola Council of Canada agronomist. Getting a handle on emergence (and therefore seed mortality) can reveal which management practices aren’t working, said Autumn Barnes. “If producers go out and get these numbers they can see, just as a […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

Adjustments likely ahead for StatsCan’s early acreage estimates

Projections still in line with grain trade's expectations

MarketsFarm — The results of the first acreage estimates for 2020 from Statistics Canada come with an asterisk, as the COVID-19 pandemic halted data collection early. Canada’s actual seeded area is expected to see some shifts from the projections released Thursday. “As a result of the timing of the COVID-19 pandemic, these estimates were produced […] Read more




AgCanada says public health orders will prevent it from doing field and lab work at its research centres, such as this one in Lethbridge. But universities and private research groups are doing plot work this summer, and cereal commissions want the department to continue with key research projects.

Pandemic threatens federal field research this year

But crop commissions urge AgCanada to follow example of universities, private researchers

Reading Time: 2 minutes COVID-19 threatens to sideline Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s field, greenhouse and lab research this year, but Prairie wheat and barley commissions that help to fund it want as many projects as possible to go ahead. In a statement issued April 24, AgCanada seemed to all but rule out field work this spring. “In response to […] Read more