London | Reuters –– Scientists in Britain say they have developed a way of genetically modifying and controlling an invasive species of moth that causes serious pest damage to cabbages, kale, canola and other similar crops worldwide. In what they said could be a pesticide-free and environmentally-friendly way to control insect pests, the scientists, from […] Read more
Genetically modified diamondback moth offers pest control hope
ICE weekly outlook: Canola faces resistance
CNS Canada — ICE Futures Canada canola contracts traded within a wide range during the week ended Wednesday, but settled mixed as the market reacted to conflicting outside factors. While the nearby bias has shifted lower in the most active months, ongoing production uncertainty in Western Canada should remain supportive in the long run, according […] Read more
Minogue: Biotech gets its due at international rapeseed forum
Saskatoon — How important is biotechnology to Prairie farmers? On his farm, Saskatchewan farmer Maurice Delage says, the net profit from canola is about $100 per acre, making it his most profitable crop most years. Delage, who now farms at Indian Head and was CEO of Aventis Crop Sciences (now Bayer CropScience) in North America […] Read more
Mild winter and dry spring create perfect storm for some problem insects
Insect damage is ‘amplified’ in a dry year because plants aren’t as big and so insects consume more of them
Reading Time: 2 minutes Some bug troubles are in the past for Alberta growers, but others are just getting started. “We already had a big run on flea beetles. That’s probably going to be one of the big stories of the year,” said Scott Meers, insect management specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “There’s also been way more cutworms […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Weather still key for canola
CNS Canada –– The ICE Futures Canada canola market moved lower during the week ended Wednesday, as speculators took profits on a recent rally that saw values hit fresh contract highs. Spillover pressure from the declines in Chicago soybean futures was also bearish for values. There were some reports of improving weather conditions for the […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Canola receives boost from soybeans
CNS Canada — The ICE Futures Canada canola market pulled higher during the week ended Tuesday, following heavy gains in the U.S. soy complex which advanced to its highest point in five months Tuesday. Traders were keenly observing Tuesday’s 2015-16 Statistics Canada acreage report which called for 19.84 million acres of canola in Western Canada. […] Read more
Canada’s canola crop woes cut crusher profits to two-year low
Winnipeg | Reuters — Problems with Canada’s canola crop are driving up the oilseed’s price, cutting processors’ margins to their lowest levels in two years and threatening to boost the price of a key ingredient of salad dressings and potato chips. Frost and dry conditions on the Canadian Prairies have damaged the crop, which processors, […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Weather key to canola market
CNS Canada — ICE Futures Canada canola contracts climbed to their highest levels in two years during the week ended Wednesday, with mounting weather concerns across the Prairies the key driver in the market. “This thing will keep going until we get some rain,” said Jerry Klassen, manager of GAP S.A. Grains and Produits in […] Read more
Canola crush margins keep dropping
CNS Canada — Canola crush margins remain in free-fall as canola seed becomes more and more expensive relative to the product values. “They’re not deteriorating, they’re flat-out disintegrating,” said a canola trader, pointing to the $20 drop over the past week alone. Crush levels have only been lower than they are now a couple times […] Read more
Patchy canola points to smaller crop, harvest dilemma
Winnipeg | Reuters — Canola crops are rising across the Prairies like bad haircuts, reflecting multiple plantings and growth stages during a spring of frost and dry conditions. The most uneven canola crop in roughly a decade, according to provincial oilseed specialist Murray Hartman at Lacombe, Alta., points to lower yields in the world’s top […] Read more