Farmland values in Canada, on average, appreciated in 2016 — and while it was less of an increase than the year before, the gain easily beat a bank GIC. Land prices here in Manitoba, which have been rising steadily since 1992, on average gained 12 per cent in both 2015 and 2014. But after four […] Read more
FCC sees increase in Canadian farmland values slowing
Manitoba surveying farmers on KAP funding system
The Manitoba government wants “farmers’ and stakeholders'” feedback on potential changes to Keystone Agricultural Producers’ (KAP) funding model — and fast. The deadline to fill out an online survey or download and email it in is March 9, the government said in a release Thursday. “The current approach to funding our province’s general farm organization […] Read more
Changes to wheat classes could hit you in the pocketbook
The Big Shuffle: The bar has been raised for the CPS and CWRS classes, which means some old favourites may sell at a discount
Reading Time: 4 minutes It turns out the customer is always right — at least when it comes to Canada’s wheat classification system. “Concerns from our overseas clients about gluten strength” has prompted a revamp of the wheat classification system, said Mark MacNaughton, director of field crops for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “The Canadian Grain Commission has changed the […] Read more
Pulses’ popularity points to bright future
The boom in pulse acres may just be getting started thanks to rising demand, better varieties, and strong profitability
Reading Time: 3 minutes Only one hand shot up when Neil Whatley asked a recent crop tour near Castor if anyone was growing lentils this year. Luckily, a more rigorous Statistics Canada survey tells the real story — there are a whole lot of hands growing lentils this year. “There’s close to six million acres on the Prairies this […] Read more
CP offers assurances for 2016-17 grain handle
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) says it’s ready and willing to move a bumper Prairie crop in 2016-17. “Operationally, CP is eager and prepared to move grain this coming crop year,” company CEO Hunter Harrison said in a letter to federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau. The letter, dated Tuesday, was also circulated to Prairie transportation and […] Read more
U.S. pressuring Canada on grain grading
U.S. grain bought on spec, not grade, say Canadian grain industry watchers
Reading Time: 3 minutes U.S. officials say this country’s grain-grading system is to blame for why American farmers living close to the border can’t take advantage of higher Canadian wheat prices. But Canadian officials deny claims that Canada’s quality control system discriminates against imported U.S. wheat. Canadian officials concede imported U.S. wheat formally receives the lowest grade in the […] Read more
Alberta land prices continue to soar
Farm cash receipts were a ‘pleasant surprise’ last year and that kept upward pressure on land prices
Reading Time: 4 minutes It was another big year for Alberta and Canadian farmland prices, according to Farm Credit Canada’s annual survey. On average, provincial farmland prices jumped by 11.6 per cent, the ag lender said in its 2015 Farmland Values Report while nationally they rose 10.1 per cent. But there are a lot of variations across the province, […] Read more
Grain transport problems solved? Not quite
Mandated minimums for grain movement are set to expire this summer — but Alberta crop industry leaders say they’re still needed
Reading Time: 5 minutes Canada’s railways moved a record amount of grain for the 2014-15 crop year — but any improvements were mostly thanks to luck, not fixes to the system, say users. “A lot of the same issues that were evident in 2013 and 2014 are still there, but we’ve had a good run based on excellent weather, […] Read more
Canadian farmland values up again in 2015
Farm Credit Canada says the annual percentage increase in farmland values is getting smaller
Reading Time: 4 minutes Manitoba farmland values led the way with the highest average percentage increase in Canada last year, says Farm Credit Canada (FCC). But the pace of increases the last few years here and across Canada is slowing in step with the plateauing of farm cash receipts, and slower drop in interest rates, J.P. Gervais, FCC’s chief […] Read more
A rising tide: Canada leap frogs U.S. in wheat exports
It’s been decades since that last happened, but some predict our share of the global market will continue to rise
Reading Time: 4 minutes Canada is exporting more wheat than the U.S. for the first time in decades. After decades of playing second fiddle to its southern neighbour, the low Canadian dollar and other factors have this country’s exports edging ahead in what some industry observers consider a new trend. Last crop year, Canada exported 23.9 million tonnes of […] Read more
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