Reuters — Commodity trading and mining firm Glencore is in advanced talks to sell a stake in its agricultural business to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The CPPIB would take a stake of up to 40 per cent, valuing the business at […] Read more
CPP reported in talks for stake in Glencore agribusiness
Other Manitoba pulses may eat edible beans’ lunch
CNS Canada –– As insatiable demand for lentils, peas and other major pulses grows louder, so do expectations for more pulses to be planted in Manitoba. When it comes to edible beans, however, acreage is expected to go down slightly, not up. “We’re probably going to be around the 110,000-acre range — a bit down […] Read more
General Mills to label GMOs in U.S. products
Reuters — General Mills on Friday said it would begin putting labels on its products that contain genetically engineered ingredients, a move that comes days after U.S. senators failed to advance legislation aimed at blocking Vermont from requiring such labels on July 1. U.S. consumer are calling for greater transparency around food production and sourcing, […] Read more
Growers plan to plant pulses, but seeds scarce
CNS Canada — Farmers are eager to grow peas and lentils this year, but sourcing those seeds could prove difficult, according an industry group official. “We have heard that given the expected increase in area for both peas and lentils this year, the availability of good-quality seed could be a challenge,” said Carl Potts of […] Read more
Transport review urges scrapping railway grain revenue cap
Winnipeg | Reuters — Ottawa should phase out over seven years its cap on the amount of revenue railways can earn transporting grain, a study for the Canadian government recommended Thursday, a move long urged by railways and opposed by farmers and grain handlers. A review of Canadian transportation laws, aimed at modernizing the system, […] Read more
Drought watch kept on Alberta, early spring expected
CNS Canada — Above-average temperatures and limited precipitation could mean parts of the Prairies will struggle with soil moisture heading into the spring, according to one specialist. “The soil moisture that we have in the ground right now is similar to what we went into the winter with,” said Trevor Hadwen, agroclimate specialist with Agriculture […] Read more
Agrium’s forecast disappoints
Reuters — Canadian fertilizer and ag retailer Agrium has joined rival PotashCorp in forecasting a weaker-than-expected 2016 profit, as prices for crop nutrients remain weak. Agrium’s Toronto-listed shares fell as much as 5.2 per cent to $110.89, its lowest in a year, as investors ignored a better-than-expected quarterly profit. The company, which sells seed, fertilizers […] Read more
Baltic index slips to fresh low, demand concerns persist
Reuters — The Baltic Exchange’s main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships carrying industrial commodities, slipped to another all-time low Tuesday on worries about vessel oversupply and slowing global demand. The overall index, which gauges the cost of shipping dry bulk including iron ore, cement, grain, coal and fertilizer, fell four points or […] Read more
CN to challenge latest grain revenue penalty
Ordered to hand over more than $7 million in Prairie grain handling revenue and related fines for the 2014-15 crop year, Canadian National Railway now plans to challenge the bill in court. Montreal-based CN on Monday filed in the Federal Court of Appeal, seeking leave to appeal the Canadian Transportation Agency’s (CTA) Dec. 29 finding […] Read more
Pulse lone bright spot in crop forecast
Break-even yields are a little lower for spring wheat and canola this year, and there’s real money to be made growing peas and lentils
Reading Time: 2 minutes There’s good news and there’s bad news in this year’s crop profitability forecasts. The good news? Break-even yields for both spring wheat and canola are just slightly lower this year, according to provincial forecasts. And even if you just pull off average yields for peas, you’ll really have something to smile about. “Since the projections […] Read more
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