CNS Canada — Wheat futures in the U.S. kicked off the week on a high note, following a weekend of adverse weather in key growing regions. That may provide a short-lived boost to cash prices in Canada, though the market has its own weather watch. Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures on Monday advanced close […] Read more
Weather woes buoy U.S. wheat futures
Farmers can grow the Canadian economy — if they’re not shackled
Removing a tool that allows grain farmers to even out their income would hamper their ability to invest in and expand their operations
Reading Time: 3 minutes As we enter another growing season, farmers are raising concerns over the federal government’s intention to review the option to defer cash purchase tickets — something that came with no warning prior to its mention in the federal budget. From where I sit, a mid-size incorporated family grain farm, we know that the reversal of […] Read more
Fear of feed expected to keep malt barley acres low
CNS Canada — Concerns about weather dictating the quality of malt barley is keeping producers from seeding the crop this year, one industry participant says, while weak prices offer no extra incentive. “Acres are definitely going to be down, because of the fear of getting feed barley, which is horrendously low-priced,” said Rod Green of […] Read more
Post tucks into British breakfast cereal Weetabix
London/Shanghai/New York | Reuters — Post Holdings is buying leading British breakfast cereal brand Weetabix from China’s Bright Food Group for 1.4 billion pounds (C$2.4 billion), giving the U.S.-focused company a European base on which to build. The combination will help Post’s existing brands, which include Honey Bunches of Oats and Grape-Nuts, to expand overseas, […] Read more
Flour recalls widen in E. coli probe
Federal public health officials and flour miller Ardent Mills are warning Canadians to follow “safe flour handling practices” as an E. coli-related flour recall widens from one specific batch of Robin Hood flour to include several other Ardent-made products. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Sunday updated its food recall warnings to include several lots […] Read more
Mixed conditions loom over Manitoba winter cereals
CNS Canada — A mix of freezing and warming conditions put Manitoba’s winter cereals in uncertain condition, following months of promising weather, according to the head of an industry group. Manitoba’s winter wheat and fall rye crops had ample snow cover throughout the winter, which supported crops, but more recently, conditions turned slushy, then froze […] Read more
Refuge sought for West’s midge-tolerant SWS wheats
Refuge seed and other stewardship measures will be needed for the “majority” of soft white spring (SWS) wheat varieties grown on the Prairies, to protect the midge-tolerant trait many of them have now been found to have. That’s the assessment of seed marketing agency SeCan, which sells at least three SWS varieties now found to […] Read more
Growing craft beer sector thirsty for local malt
CNS Canada — Craft breweries are a growing subsector of the Canadian beer industry, but the increased variety of local drink options are not necessarily 100 per cent homegrown, as a lack of domestically produced specialty malts forces brewers to look far afield to meet their needs. “We get our base malt locally, but we […] Read more
Ukraine farmers examine Canadian agriculture co-ops
A delegation of Ukrainian farmers were visiting agriculture co-ops this week, looking to see if the approach can benefit their grain businesses in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. In Ontario they visited Agris Co-op and Great Lakes Grain in Chatham, Agrico fertilizer storage outside London, an Agromart retail operation in Wellburn, and the Donkers’ dairy goat farm […] Read more
Robin Hood flour pulled in E. coli probe
Federal health officials investigating over two dozen cases of E. coli poisoning across Canada are warning consumers to get rid of a certain batch of Robin Hood flour. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on Tuesday issued a food recall warning for Robin Hood All-Purpose Flour, Original, distributed in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. […] Read more