Reading Time: 3 minutes At first glance, WW 454 looked like it would be a ho-hum addition to the stable of winter wheat varieties competing for acres on Prairie farms. Its parents, McClintock and CDC Osprey, were a decent sort, but decidedly average. And the breeder that brought them together 11 years ago was a rookie recruit making his […] Read more
Fusarium Resistance Closer
Tribute To An “Agricultural Icon” Across Western Canada
Reading Time: 3 minutes Many will mourn the passing of John Harapiak, who succumbed last week to cancer. The highly respected agronomist spent more than 40 years of his life serving western Canadian farmers through his work in soil fertility research and extension. Dubbed an “agricultural icon” by his colleagues, he was best known for his steadfast commitment to […] Read more
Grain Price Outlook Good — But Prepare For Ups And Downs
Reading Time: 4 minutes It doesn’t seem to matter whether analysts are studying the market fundamentals, technical charts or the stars these days, they all agree on one thing. Prices are strong and there is plenty of potential for them to get stronger. But there was a caveat attached to the bullish outlook analysts dangled tantalizingly in front of […] Read more
EU Common Agricultural Policy Secure — For Now
Reading Time: 2 minutes The European Union’s financial crisis is big news these days, which made a seminar for North American journalists about EU monetary policy particularly timely. But when asked about the future of the Common Agricultural Policy, which we are often told is unsustainable and about to break the EU bank, EU officials were somewhat bemused. It […] Read more
Finally Emerging From The Reality Of BSE
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s been seven long years since Canada’s beef industry was brought to its knees by the discovery of a BSE-infected cow in Alberta. A lot of cattle have passed through the ring since, with most fetching prices that make it hard to be excited about this industry’s future. With their equity decimated by the lost […] Read more
High Fertilizer Prices — Good. High Grain Prices — Bad – for Oct. 25, 2010
Reading Time: 3 minutes editor, manitoba co-operator Farmers could be forgiven for tuning out the twists and turns in the ongoing battle over the future of Canada’s PotashCorp to focus on more top-of-mind issues such as finishing off this year’s fieldwork. But whether you’re tuned in or not, how this deal shakes down could have an impact on your […] Read more
R-CALF— Wrong On Canadian Imports, But… – for Sep. 13, 2010
Reading Time: 3 minutes Mentioning R-CALF to a Canadian cattle producer has about the same effect as pulling your fingernails across a chalkboard. The Ranchers and Cattlemen Action Legal Fund was formed in 1998 to fight for the livelihoods of small U. S. ranchers. It first set its sights on rising Canadian cattle imports, which it blamed for lower […] Read more
Mixed Signals From Data On Beef Consumption – for Aug. 30, 2010
Reading Time: 3 minutes There is good news and bad news in the recent data released from the Beef Information Centre’s research into consumer preferences for beef. The good news is, the vast majority of consumers likes to eat beef. Ninety-six per cent of Canadian households and 93 per cent of individuals consume beef, which places its popularity close […] Read more
Hot Wheat Market May Have Boiled Over – for Aug. 16, 2010
Reading Time: 3 minutes The hottest run-up in the wheat market since 2008 prompted the Canadian Wheat Board to issue a special market advisory early this month to alert farmers to potential pricing opportunities. David Boyes, the board’s commodity risk manager, said two market fundamentals – severe drought in Russia and excessive moisture cutting production in Western Canada – […] Read more
Flax-Testing Protocols Tightened – for Aug. 16, 2010
Reading Time: 2 minutes Flax delivered into the commercial grain handling system this fall will face more rigorous and costly testing procedures to ensure it is CDC Triffid-free than were in place last year, the Flax Council of Canada says. As of Sept. 1, commercial deliveries will undergo the same degree of testing for the genetically modified flax variety […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
