Crops
Oslo | Reuters — Norway’s Yara and Chicago-based CF Industries are in talks about a merger of equals that would create a US$27.5 billion global fertilizer producer to rival world No. 1 PotashCorp in an oversupplied and fragmented market. The deal would give Yara, the world’s biggest nitrate fertiliser maker, major production units in the […] Read more
Yara, CF in talks to create $27.5B global fertilizer producer
N.B. ag minister among unseated Tories in election loss
New Brunswick’s incumbent agriculture minister is among the election-night casualties for Premier David Alward’s Tories as the provincial Liberals get set to return to government. Michael Olscamp, the Tories’ minister of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries since 2010 and MLA for the Sackville-area riding of Tantramar, lost his seat Monday against Bernard LeBlanc, the Liberals’ MLA […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans, corn tumble to four-year lows on record harvests
Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. corn and soy futures fell to four-year lows on Monday, pressured by favourable weather for record harvests in the U.S. and a rising dollar that made the supplies less competitive in global markets. Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures also fell to a four-year low, but trimmed losses to end […] Read more
Don’t spread the seeds of this nasty weed
Pulling by hand is the simplest, most reliable management technique
Reading Time: < 1 minute Producers have reported ‘strange regrowth’ of Himalayan balsam following control measures to Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “There are some important points to keep in mind when attempting to eradicate this invasive weed,” said provincial weed specialist Nicole Kimmel. Himalayan balsam is shallow rooted and easily pulled up by hand. That makes it labour intensive […] Read more
U.S. wheat futures pressured by weak French market
CNS Canada — U.S. wheat futures have fallen to four-year lows, but could have more room to the downside as large global supplies and declining world prices weigh on values. In addition to the ample world supply situation, much of the recent weakness in the U.S. wheat market is tied to a “freefall” in the […] Read more
Frozen barley crops to push craft beer prices higher
Winnipeg | Reuters –– Beer prices in North America may rise next year as brewers and maltsters face higher costs after cold, wet weather damaged Canadian barley crops and left farmers and tipplers crying in their beer. Canada, the world’s second-biggest exporter of malting barley, was already harvesting its smallest crop since 1968, before a […] Read more
Wheat bids slide with U.S. futures
Average cash bids for Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat moved down across Western Canada during the week ended Friday, as continued losses in U.S. futures weighed on values. The highest CWRS prices were still available in Manitoba, but average bids in the province declined by $8 from the previous week, coming in at roughly […] Read more
Online tool gives producers a voice for equipment safety
'Speak Up for Safer Equipment' to handle safety concerns linked to ag production
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) has developed a new online tool to give farmers an opportunity to express their concerns about possible hazards with farm equipment. The Speak Up For Safer Equipment tool is intended to provide a way for farmers, manufacturers and standards organizations to talk about safety concerns with agricultural equipment manufactured […] Read more
Lentil prices rise with Prairie rains, Asian demand
CNS Canada — A lentil watcher says Canadian prices for the crop are surging higher right now, in response to frequent Prairie rains and international demand. “It’s more than your usual slow rally, it (the market) spiked higher; especially the greens, which are shooting up right now,” said Chuck Penner of LeftField Commodity Research in […] Read more
Three peanut firm officials guilty in deadly salmonella outbreak
Atlanta | Reuters — Three former U.S. peanut company officials were found guilty on Friday in connection with a 2009 salmonella outbreak that killed nine people and sickened hundreds, federal prosecutors said. The contamination at the Peanut Corporation of America plant in Blakely, Georgia, led to one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history […] Read more