Washington | Reuters — The U.S. House of Representatives passed the farm bill on Wednesday, capping months of acrimonious debate to finalize the legislation funding the nation’s US$867 billion food and agriculture programs. The bill, which passed by a vote of 369 to 47, will be submitted to President Donald Trump for his signature into […] Read more
U.S. House approves farm bill without tighter food stamps criteria
Pulse weekly outlook: Market depends on India’s fortunes
CNS Canada — When it comes to Canadian pulse crops, David Newman of Commodious Trading says producers, speculators and processors are long — and that has been of great concern to him. “You have everybody wanting to sell and you better hope that there’s someone there to take all of it,” he said. The wildcard […] Read more
Learn how to get more for your grain
Reading Time: < 1 minute Making the Grade, which will be held at Olds College on Dec. 18, will see participants divided into groups and rotate through four sessions: Scott Kippen of the Canadian Grain Commission will cover wheat grading (including falling number, DON, and storage); Kevin Sich from Rahr Malting will highlight issues such as chitting and kernel plumpness […] Read more
Tighter StatsCan canola crop won’t affect market, analysts say
CNS Canada — Canada’s canola production has been revised lower in the latest data from Statistics Canada’s Production of Principal Field Crops report, issued Thursday. However, two observers agree the final numbers won’t have much effect on markets. “It’s not a report that’s going to allow canola to trade tremendously strong. It might trade a […] Read more
Saskatchewan farm truckers exempt on new training rule
Saskatchewan semi truck drivers driving only for farming operations will get a pass on the province’s planned new mandatory minimum trucker training requirements. The province announced Monday it will require a minimum of 121.5 hours of training before a driver can obtain a Class 1 commercial driver’s licence, starting March 15 next year. A Class […] Read more
Report finds more Canadians turning to plant-based proteins
CNS Canada — Canadians are showing more and more interest in reducing meat consumption while increasing purchases of plant-based proteins, according to data from the latest Food Price Report. The report, prepared by the University of Guelph and Dalhousie University, predicted a 1.5 to 3.5 per cent increase overall in the average Canadian food bill […] Read more
Hot, dry conditions drove down insect and disease pressure in 2018
By and large, producers didn’t see as much insect damage or disease loss this year
Reading Time: 3 minutes Crop yields in Alberta took a hit this year because of the hot, dry conditions — but the blow wasn’t as big as it could have been, thanks to decreased disease and insect pressure. “Across the province, we’re trending close to the five-year average, and the lack of disease and insect pressure may have helped […] Read more
AGT’s privatization to proceed
CNS Canada — AGT Food and Ingredients has announced a definitive agreement to take the publicly-traded Saskatchewan pulse and durum processing and export firm private. If all conditions are met, the deal is expected to go through in the first quarter of 2019. The buyer group, including AGT CEO Murad Al-Katib, Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited […] Read more
December StatsCan report could vary from years past
CNS Canada — After this fall’s long, drawn-out harvest, some analysts predict Statistics Canada’s final Production of Principal Field Crops numbers could vary from the usual pattern. StatsCan’s report, due out Thursday, is a “very uncertain” report “because that was probably one of the most bizarre falls we’ve ever had on the Prairies,” said Ken […] Read more
Fertilizer prices to rise on global production shifts
CNS Canada — Canadian fertilizer prices are expected to increase as spring draws nearer, according to industry professionals. “The further you buy out from spring, the prices tend to be a little bit lower. In making your commitments early, prices tend to edge up as you get closer to spring,” said Don Kitson of International […] Read more
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