Chicago | Reuters – Low water conditions have led to several barges running aground along a key stretch of the lower Mississippi River, the U.S. Coast Guard told Reuters on Wednesday, just as the busiest U.S. grain export season gets underway. Low water levels are slowing export-bound barge shipments of grain and oilseeds from the […] Read more
Low water on Mississippi River impacts barges, grain exports ahead of harvest
Grain commission revokes Purely Canada licences
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Grain Commission said Aug. 28 both dealer and primary elevator licences at Purely Canada's Saskatchewan facilities in Avonlea, Kindersley and Lajord had been pulled.
Ukraine boosts grain exports despite intensified Russian attacks
Kyiv/London | Reuters – Ukraine is scrambling to ship as much grain as it can this summer, taking advantage of military gains it has made in the Black Sea area to boost exports even as Russia has attacked its ports. Ukraine is a major global wheat and corn grower and before Russia’s invasion in 2022 […] Read more
Global crop yields don’t match increasing demand
Sluggish production blamed on adverse weather conditions and high input costs that led to reduced fertilizer use
Reading Time: 3 minutes Sluggish global crop production blamed on adverse weather conditions and high input costs that lead to reduced fertilizer use.
Farm growth pushes farmers to bring grain handling and conditioning home
As farms have increased in size, their storage requirements now mean far greater quantities of a single crop, whether it be canola or wheat. This means higher capacity, flat-bottomed bins. These are often centrally located, with larger capacity handling equipment and sometimes permanently installed handling equipment.
Rail strike still looms as holdup stretches on
Grain industry says delaying what appears to be an inevitable strike isn’t helpful
Reading Time: 3 minutes Teamsters voted to strike in May, but labour action is still in gridlock as both sides wait for Canadian Industrial Relations Board decision.
Grain business consolidation and concentration
A recent study suggests farmer concerns over the Viterra-Bunge merger are well founded
Reading Time: 3 minutes The anti-competitive tentacles of this deal reach much deeper than a consolidation that makes two competitors into one. This is about who will shape the future of grain handling and oilseed processing in Western Canada.
Feds spend $97 million on agricultural clean tech projects
Cash splashed on 162 projects including grain dryers and solar panels
The federal government today announced some $97 million in funding for farms and agri-businesses to adopt cleaner technologies like more efficient grain dryers, solar power and precision agriculture technology.
Railways weather few winter woes
Grain shipments on track despite January cold blast
Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – At the midway point of the 2023–24 shipping year, grain shipments are moving at a good clip. “In the last 12 to 18 months, we’ve seen some really good performance from both of the railroads,” said Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corporation, Canada’s grain monitor. “The exception was the last four or […] Read more
Check your grain bins for spoilage
Reading Time: < 1 minute Several cases of spoiling crops showed up in February, says provincial crops market analyst Neil Blue. “Perhaps the mostly warm temperatures this winter and the January period of record cold temperatures have been a factor,” said Blue. After being placed into storage, crops respire for a month or more, and this can release moisture. Dense […] Read more
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