Reading Time: 5 minutes New buzzwords are old news at Hebert Grain Ventures, where ‘climate-positive practices’ have been just another part of doing business for decades. That makes the Saskatchewan grain operation a model for how farmers here can improve sustainability without hurting their profits. “The hashtags that are now used are climate positive and sustainable, but we implemented […] Read more
You can leverage sustainability to boost profitability, says producer
‘Climate positive’ is the new buzzword but prioritizing stewardship is good business, says Kristjan Hebert
CP to lock out engineers, conductors starting Sunday
'Cannot prolong the uncertainty,' CEO says
Canadian Pacific Railway has served its unionized engineers, conductors and train and yard service staff with notice of a lockout to start just after midnight ET on Sunday, unless the company and union agree on a new labour deal by then. Calgary-based CP and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which represents about 3,000 CP […] Read more
Antitrust probe in ag inputs dropped
Communications over FBN still 'concerning,' Competition Bureau says
Allegations suggesting ag chem sector players tried to derail an online farm-supply firm’s business in Western Canada haven’t turned up enough evidence for federal regulators to probe the matter further. Canada’s Competition Bureau announced Tuesday it’s now closed an investigation it launched in 2019 over allegations brought forward by the Canadian arm of Farmers Business […] Read more
Canadian and U.S. shippers brace for possible CP strike
Strike notice not yet given
Winnipeg | Reuters — Thousands of workers at Canada’s second-biggest railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, have threatened to strike this week, potentially disrupting the movement of grain, potash and coal at a time of soaring commodity prices. The strike is the latest risk to Canada’s battered supply chain, which last year weathered floods in British Columbia […] Read more
Pulse sector hails renewed trade talks with India
MarketsFarm — Canada and India have formerly relaunched trade negotiations that could lead to increased Canadian pulse exports to the country. Canada’s Trade Minister Mary Ng met with her Indian counterpart Shri Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on Friday to discuss economic relationships between the two countries. While highlighting existing trade relationships, the ministers also […] Read more
USDA opens inquiry into fertilizer, seed prices
Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is opening an inquiry into the impacts of concentration in the fertilizer, seed and retail markets. The inquiry stems from the Biden administration’s July 2021 executive order to promote competition across the U.S. economy, the agency said in a release Friday. Global supply chain problems and inflation have […] Read more
Most of Prairies still very dry, but recovery possible
Southern Manitoba considered out of drought
MarketsFarm — Despite the Prairies receiving above-normal amounts of precipitation during February, the great majority of the region remained highly vulnerable to more dryness going into spring, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor. The monitor’s latest report showed those areas of the Prairies tackling extreme drought to have retracted somewhat. As of Feb. 28, that […] Read more
W.A. Grain’s farmer suppliers to get 80 cents on dollar
CGC program to provide $5.6 million of $7.1 million owed
Farmers owed $7.1 million by W.A. Grain and Pulse Solutions, which had facilities in Alberta and Saskatchewan, will get $5.6 million, or about 80 per cent of the money owed to them, via the Canadian Grain Commission’s (CGC) Safeguards for Grain Farmers Program. “While we regret producers didn’t get 100 per cent (of what they […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Manitoba growers hope timely rains follow snows
High N prices may favour pulse acres
MarketsFarm — As March 1 marked the start of meteorological spring, it feels like anything but that in southern Manitoba. One of the snowiest and coldest winters in years has been a mixed blessing for pulse growers, providing much-needed moisture for fields while also raising flood fears in some areas. Dennis Lange, a pulse specialist […] Read more
WFP ramps up food aid to Ukraine amid reports of severe shortages
London | Reuters — The World Food Programme said on Friday it is ramping up food aid to war-torn Ukraine, citing reports of severe shortages of food and water in Kyiv, the capital, and the northeastern city of Kharkiv. The U.N. agency said it is in the process of finding partners in Ukraine to help […] Read more