Reuters – Mosaic Co MOS.N said on Monday it expects tight grain and oilseed markets into 2023, encouraging the continued use of fertilizers despite their surging costs. “The war in Ukraine, high temperatures in North America and Europe, and developing drought conditions in parts of South America highlight the risk for reduced yields globally,” Mosaic said. […] Read more
Mosaic sees fertilizer demand supported by tight crop supplies into 2023
Record income trumps rising costs, interest rates, says lender
Overall, farmers are in ‘a good spot,’ but warns higher rates will be around for a while
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers are in good financial shape and able to weather both soaring costs and higher interest rates, says the country’s biggest ag lender. “We are in a unique position where record farm revenues are helping to offset the impact of a sharp increase in input costs and rising interest rates,” said J.P. Gervais, Farm Credit […] Read more
Is a return of ‘grain gridlock’ in the cards?
Grain movement was slow last winter but CN and CP say they’ll be ready to move this fall’s harvest
Reading Time: 4 minutes Fears are mounting that CN and CP may not be up to the job of getting grain to port later this year, even though the forecasts are for only an average-sized crop. “Last year wasn’t very reassuring,” said Geoff Backman, manager of business development and markets with Alberta Wheat and Barley. “Every year farmers are […] Read more
Direct compensation for fertilizer tariffs not on table
Eastern farm groups call for help ahead of fall seeding
Farmers in Eastern Canada who rely on imports of Russian-made fertilizers aren’t going to see direct compensation for the federal government’s general tariff on those products. A clutch of farmer and ag industry groups on July 15 put forward a new request to Ottawa for compensation to farmers “negatively impacted” by a 35 per cent […] Read more
Ag ministers lock in next policy funding framework
AgriStability compensation rate to rise; new EGS program planned; some agmins decry feds' approach on fertilizer emission cuts
The new federal-provincial ag policy funding framework due to take effect next April 1 will include a new ecological goods and services plan and a sweetened compensation rate for AgriStability. Following meetings this week in Saskatoon, federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and her provincial and territorial counterparts on Friday mapped out the bones of their […] Read more
Nutrien buys expanded ag retail presence in Brazil
Reuters — Top fertilizer maker Nutrien on Wednesday agreed to acquire Casa do Adubo S.A., as part of its ambitions to expand its Brazilian retail business. The deal marks Nutrien’s sixth acquisition in Brazil since 2019, when it set a strategic goal to build its market share in a country that is vital to feeding […] Read more
It’s still ‘wait and see’ country when it comes to biostimulants
A multi-year study has found some products work sometimes on some crops -- but it’s hit-and-miss
Reading Time: 3 minutes Biostimulants work. Sort of. Sometimes. Depending. Dubbed the ‘vitamin supplements of farming,’ there are a wide range of biostimulants and they work — or don’t — in a host of different ways. Sometimes they’re worth applying and sometimes not, suggests a three-year study by Farming Smarter. “We did see an increase in yield for some […] Read more
Retailer takes over G3 ag input site
The Rack takes up ag retail business at Plenty, Sask.
A western Saskatchewan ag retail chain has expanded its footprint in that region after closing a deal for a G3 grain elevator’s crop input business. G3 announced Monday it had completed the sale of the ag input business adjacent to its elevator west of Plenty, Sask., to Saskatchewan input and bulk fuel dealer Rack Petroleum, […] Read more
Feds boost Living Labs’ reach to all provinces
Nine projects, including first-Indigenous led lab, share $54M
The first crop of federally-funded “Living Labs” backed by the Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) program, set up to prove carbon-sequestering on-farm processes, takes the concept to the six provinces where such farm-level labs weren’t yet in place. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, speaking Thursday in Calgary, announced $54 million from the $185 million, 10-year ACS program […] Read more
Give cover crops a shot and have some fun, says soil health expert
Despite challenges in our climate, there are ways to profit from this much- discussed practice
Reading Time: 4 minutes Cover crops aren’t a magic bullet but they’re worth a try. That was the message an American expert delivered to a group of Alberta producers who considered whether the much-hyped soil health practice can work during the short growing season. “Cover crops don’t solve everything,” said soil scientist Abbey Wick. “It’s not all puppies and […] Read more