Reuters – Canadian organic food company SunOpta Inc, already under pressure from U.S. hedge fund Tourbillon Capital Partners LP, is being prodded by a second activist shareholder to explore the sale of all or part of the company, according to sources familiar with the matter. Canadian hedge fund West Face Capital, which pushed SNC-Lavalin to sell […] Read more
SunOpta pressured by shareholders after sluggish sales
Wet weather threatens record lentil crops
CNS Canada — An increase in Canadian lentil acreage this year comes as a blessing in disguise as wet conditions threaten some crops, worrying producers. Farmers in parts of the Prairies increased lentil seedings by 48 per cent, covering a record 5.8 million acres this year, according to Statistics Canada. While the increase in lentils […] Read more
Chickpeas see good start to a long season
CNS Canada –– Canadian chickpeas have a long season to go, but so far the crops look like they’re in it for the long haul. “We have a fair amount of chickpeas in and they look phenomenal, they’re in full flower and looking as healthy and as good as a chickpea crop can at this […] Read more
Guenther: Farmers aim to keep pulse diseases in check
Rain makes grain, the saying goes — but too much spring rain and farmers are likely to see disease in pulses. That’s certainly been the case in Saskatchewan, where farmers in most regions are actively scouting for, or in some cases spraying for, crop diseases, according to the provincial crop report. So which leaf diseases […] Read more
More pulse acres expected to affect handling dynamics
CNS Canada –– Canadian grain handlers are curious how dynamics and timing in the rail freight sector will be managed in the upcoming season, given an expected boost in pulse crop production . For the moment, however, Prairie grain movement has dropped to seasonal lows. This year’s pulse area will likely be the largest on record, according to early estimates […] Read more
Lentils move lower as production anticipation grows
CNS Canada — As negative features continue to mount in Canada’s lentil market, prices are following the tried-and true phrase, ‘What goes up must come down.’ Lentil prices skyrocketed ahead of this year’s growing season, but now the market is starting to trend lower. “This isn’t a disaster; it’s just that gravity is pulling it […] Read more
Some Prairie pulses’ limited releases under review
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers wants your opinion on how they release pulse varieties through exclusive tenders. The grower group contributes levy funds to the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre pulse breeding program. In return, Sask Pulse holds exclusive commercial rights to varieties developed in the program. Most new varieties are released royalty-free to seed growers […] Read more
Fababean acreage muted this year
CNS Canada –– Lower pricing and a softer supply/demand ratio has fababeans trailing some of their more high-profile pulse cousins when it comes to grower intentions across the Canadian Prairies this year. “The marketplace is really being driven by lentils and peas. The indication for many growers is to put their acres into those type […] Read more
No question about it — pulses are hot, hot, hot
Yellow pea and lentil seed haven’t been available for months, and some see pulse acres soaring by 20 per cent or more
Reading Time: 4 minutes Pulse acres are set to rise in 2016 — but the multimillion-dollar question is: How much? “Realistically, we could see a 20 to 25 per cent increase in acres just based on seed sales and the usage of inoculant,” said Mark Olson, pulse crops unit head at Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “We know from what […] Read more
New-crop chickpea prices strong, but seed short
CNS Canada — Production issues in growing regions have driven chickpea prices higher, one analyst says, but limited seed means Canadian producers may not be able to take advantage of strong new-crop pricing. “Bottom line, the world is out of chickpeas,” said Colin Young of Midwest Investments. “As the year progressed everyone was hoping the […] Read more
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