Reuters — The United States has asked Canada to eliminate a new “underhanded” dairy-pricing class that has undercut sales by U.S. dairies to Canadian processors, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Monday. Perdue was speaking to reporters after he met with Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay in Toronto. Canada’s dairy farmers last year struck a […] Read more
U.S. asks Canada to end ‘underhanded’ dairy pricing class
This malt’s for you — growers profit from ‘drink local’ movement
Alberta barley growers earn premiums — and satisfaction — by direct contracting with brewers
Reading Time: 4 minutes Wade McAllister didn’t expect to be a direct marketer when he returned to his family’s grain farm in 2010. But with the demise of the Canadian Wheat Board in 2012, McAllister found a whole new market open to him — direct contracts with breweries for his malt barley. “Ever since the wheat board was dropped, […] Read more
Spreading the word about wheat
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Wheat Commission has launched its first consumer marketing campaign: ‘Life’s Simple Ingredient.’ “Our campaign is designed to make people feel good about eating wheat,” said general manager Tom Steve. The campaign aims to persuade Alberta’s urban public that the consumption of wheat is an essential component in nourishing their families. It features nutritionists, […] Read more
Early U.S. winter wheat harvest supports low-protein fears
Chicago | Reuters — The earliest reports from the start of the U.S. hard red winter wheat harvest underscored industry fears of a second straight year of low protein, a factor that shifts the market’s focus to prospects for the North American spring wheat crop, a higher-protein variety. “It’s probably a foregone conclusion at this […] Read more
Flour recall widened to products from 11 loads of wheat
The maker of Robin Hood and other brands of flour is further widening a major product recall to cover products made from 11 loads of Canadian wheat. Ardent Mills and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on Saturday announced an expanded nationwide recall to include more varieties and sizes of Robin Hood, Golden Temple, Purity, […] Read more
Lower North American durum acres keep attention on yields
CNS Canada — North America’s smaller durum acreage base in 2017 could give prices a boost later in the growing season, depending on how yields shape up for the new crop, according to a U.S. analyst. Disease issues in 2016 and better projected returns for other crops in 2017 are expected to lead to a […] Read more
MGEX spring wheat premium widening over winter wheat
CNS Canada –– Concerns over poor-quality North American wheat crops have seen the Minneapolis spring wheat premium widen over Kansas City winter wheat — and that spread could grow even larger heading into the summer, according to a U.S. analyst. The nearby MGEX spring wheat contract settled up 3.75 cents on Wednesday, while the corresponding […] Read more
Prairie oats at tipping point
CNS Canada –– Seeding delays in Western Canada could see more area shift into oats, which need a shorter growing season and minimal inputs compared to other options. However, with many fields still unharvested from last year, a tipping point will eventually be reached when nothing will be seeded at all in some areas. In […] Read more
Prairie feed wheat, barley at seasonal highs
CNS Canada –– Feed barley and feed wheat appear to be settling into some seasonal highs, according to a market-watcher in Alberta. “Whether it goes up much more remains to be seen,” said Jim Beusekom of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge. “Between Easter and May long weekend, we’re probably at a high.” High vomitoxin (10 […] Read more
As Italy seeks pasta labels, Canada worries about durum sales
Winnipeg/Rome | Reuters — Italy has this week formally asked the European Commission to allow it to require country-of-origin labels on pasta sold there, raising alarms for Canadian durum wheat exporters who fear the move will dampen sales. Italian Agriculture Minister Maurizio Martina said on Twitter on Monday that Italy had sent a decree to […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
