Reading Time: 3 minutes Fertilizer prices dropped over winter but remain a powder keg, and even a slight spark could blow the fallout in either direction. “There’s so much geopolitical activity in the world these days, it’s hard to know what’s happening on a given day,” said Neil Blue, crops market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation. “Lately there’s […] Read more
Global events pressure already dicey fertilizer market
There are lots of reasons for optimism but the situation could change in a heartbeat, analysts say
Schoepp: Misconceptions about manure fly in face of common sense
It is a valuable commodity and using it as an energy source offers a host of benefits
Reading Time: 3 minutes Last month, the Guardian had an article on biogas titled ‘Brown gold: The great American manure rush begins.’ It seems I am not the only one to believe our regenerative future rests in water and manure. The story was about California dairy farmers entering into long-term contracts to sell their manure to the energy industry […] Read more
Ukraine faces lack of herbicides, pesticides for spring seeding
About a third of needed chemicals reported to be at hand
Kyiv | Reuters — Ukrainian farmers, which have already started the 2023 spring sowing, have only around 35 per cent of the herbicides and pesticides they need, analyst APK-Inform quoted on Monday official data as showed. The Russian invasion has left Ukraine seriously short of finances, seeds and crop protection products, which could have a […] Read more
Russia suggests renewing Black Sea grain deal for shorter term
Moscow says sanctions have created barriers for its exports
Geneva | Reuters — Moscow is suggesting to renew a deal allowing the safe export of grain from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports — but only for a period of 60 days, half the term of the previous renewal, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said on Monday. Vershinin’s statement came after talks with U.N. officials […] Read more
CN’s mechanics vote in favour of strike action
Company says rail operations 'will continue'
Unionized mechanics and clerical workers at Canadian National Railway (CN) have voted their support for strike action which CN says will not affect operations. Ballots from members of Unifor Local 100 and Unifor Council 4000 went 98 and 97 per cent in support of strike action, in votes held over the past two weeks, Unifor […] Read more
FCC says high costs favour more wheat acres in 2023
Reading Time: < 1 minute High prices for fertilizer and chemicals will push up wheat acres and lower canola and corn plantings this year, Farm Credit Canada says in its latest outlook for crop inputs. Overall acreage for wheat will jump 7.3 per cent as farmers turn to “less-input-intensive crops,” the lender forecasts. It predicts both canola and corn acres […] Read more
North Korea’s Kim demands more farmland to boost food production
Seoul | Reuters — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered improvements to infrastructure and expansion of farmland to ramp up food production, state media said on Thursday, amid warnings of an impending food crisis. Kim gave instructions to revamp irrigation systems, build modern farming machines and create more arable land as he wrapped up […] Read more
Russia, U.S. bicker at UN over donating fertilizer to Syria
U.S. calls for Russia to distribute via UN
United Nations | Reuters — Russia and the United States bickered on Tuesday over whether Russian fertilizer could be donated to Syria as Moscow heightens complaints about obstacles to its fertilizer shipments before the renewal of a deal allowing Ukraine Black Sea grain exports. Some 260,000 tonnes of Russian fertilizer has been stuck in several […] Read more
Sollio books deeper loss for 2022
Olymel's fresh pork business takes biggest hit
Domestic and international market-moving events have dragged hard on the year-end bottom line for Sollio Cooperative Group, particularly in its fresh pork business. Quebec-based Sollio — which operates the ag input and farm service business Sollio Agriculture, meat packer Olymel and hardware retailer BMR — on Thursday reported full-year revenues of $8.876 billion for its […] Read more
Mosaic misses profit estimate amid lower demand for fertilizers
Reuters — Mosaic Co. on Wednesday became the latest fertilizer maker to miss fourth-quarter profit estimates amid lower demand for potash and other crop fertilizers, pushing shares down 2.2 per cent in extended trading. Although prices of fertilizers such as phosphates and potash decreased toward the end of last year, it did not boost demand […] Read more