Reading Time: 3 minutes Sluggish global crop production blamed on adverse weather conditions and high input costs that lead to reduced fertilizer use.
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
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
Spring road restrictions coming soon to Prairies
Grain, equipment movement can be affected by road bans
The spring melt across Western Canada will cause disruptions to grain and livestock movement, as seasonal spring road restrictions come into effect across the Prairies.
St. Lawrence Seaway sees increased tonnage in 2023
The seaway saw the longest scheduled shipping season in history
Cargo movement through the St. Lawrence Seaway was up by more than 3.4 per cent in 2023 compared to the previous year, with nearly 38 million tonnes of cargo moved through the binational system, according to a joint report from the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLMC) and the United States Great Lakes St. Lawrence Development Corporation (GLS).
How to safely check your grain bins for spoilage
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canola Council of Canada has had reports of canola spoilage. There are three main ways to check grain bins and prevent it. Be careful and consider safety when climbing bins to probe grain and use appropriate safety equipment such as a harness.
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