“It’s up to the industry as to how we want to continue funding. Do we see value in Cigi and is there enough value to keep funding it or is there some other model?" – Kevin Bender

Sylvan Lake farmer joins Cigi board at a critical time

Kevin Bender’s new role will involve sorting out funding and trade issues

Reading Time: 2 minutes UPDATED: Aug. 3, 2016 – Governance, trace residues, and falling gluten strength. Those are among the issues Kevin Bender wants to tackle in his latest off-farm role. The grain grower from the Sylvan Lake/Bentley area — already vice-chair of the Alberta Wheat Commission and its representative on Cereals Canada — joined the board of the […] Read more

Nuffield Scholarship application deadline

Four scholarships of $15,000 each are available for those between 25 and 45

Reading Time: < 1 minute Applications for 2017 Canadian Nuffield Farming Scholarships are due April 30. Scholarships are awarded to individuals with a passion for agriculture and a desire to expand their knowledge, pursue new ideas and share their findings with others, for the betterment of Canadian agriculture. Applicants should be in mid-career, between the ages of 25 and 45 […] Read more


A rising tide: Canada leap frogs U.S. in wheat exports

A rising tide: Canada leap frogs U.S. in wheat exports

It’s been decades since that last happened, but some predict our share 
of the global market will continue to rise

Reading Time: 4 minutes Canada is exporting more wheat than the U.S. for the first time in decades. After decades of playing second fiddle to its southern neighbour, the low Canadian dollar and other factors have this country’s exports edging ahead in what some industry observers consider a new trend. Last crop year, Canada exported 23.9 million tonnes of […] Read more

wheat

Prairie wheat growers wanted for gluten strength study

What's in it for you? Valuable data about your wheat, and potentially help boost returns for the whole class

Reading Time: 3 minutes Scientists investigating the effect weather, agronomics and genotype have on milling wheat quality are appealing to farmers across the Prairies to participate in their study. The goal is to improve the quantity, quality and consistency of Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat and in so doing increase returns to farmers. In return participating farmers will […] Read more


Canadian hundred dollar bills

Tax credits available for checkoffs

Reading Time: < 1 minute Wheat producers who paid the Alberta Wheat Commission provincial checkoff and did not request a refund are eligible for a tax credit. For the 2015 tax year, 20 per cent of the checkoff is eligible for the federal Scientific Research and Experimental Development tax incentive program. The tax credit percentage is based on the dollar […] Read more

Grain transportation has reached another fork in the track with the release of the Canadian Transportation Act review report.

Alberta Wheat chair says rail review misses the mark

Kevin Auch says lifting the revenue cap would be a mistake and reciprocal penalties are needed

Reading Time: 3 minutes A panel that spent a year and a half reviewing the Canadian Transportation Act got its key recommendations wrong. That’s the reaction from farmers, including Alberta Wheat Commission chair Kevin Auch. “We need to have some measure of a level playing field in the whole rail transportation thing,” said Auch, who farms near Carmangay. “We’re […] Read more


FarmSafety seminar

FarmSafe workshops in March

Producers can register by visiting crop commission websites

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Wheat Commission, Alberta Barley, Alberta Canola Producers Commission and Alberta Pulse Growers Commission will host a series of FarmSafe workshops throughout Alberta this March. The free, one-day workshops will provide training and educational manuals to help farmers develop a complete health and safety management system tailored to their unique operation. “These FarmSafe workshops […] Read more

What does your grain sell for at port?

What does your grain sell for at port?

When grain gridlock hit two years ago, the gap between the elevator and port price appears to have skyrocketed — and cost farmers billions

Reading Time: 4 minutes The jury’s still out on whether knowing the price of export grain relative to local cash prices will help producers get better prices. But the Alberta Wheat Commission intends to find out. “The port price would provide an indication of whether the system is constrained or functioning efficiently,” said Tom Steve, the commission’s general manager. […] Read more


Greg Porozni (back left) with Team Canada mission members and Canadian wheat customers in Jakarta. The whirlwind trip through Asia was an eye-opener, says the Willingdon producer.

Team Canada a hit with foreign wheat buyers

Buyers want to know about this year’s crop, talk about what matters 
most to them, and get to know the farmers who grow the wheat

Reading Time: 4 minutes It was a whirlwind visit — seven Asian nations in just 18 days — and an eye-opener for Willingdon farmer Greg Porozni. “It was a gruelling trip, but it was good,” Porozni said after his recent Team Canada mission. “All we did was travel and present and we kept moving.” The chair of Cereals Canada […] Read more

Two Alberta wheat directors acclaimed

Reading Time: < 1 minute Two positions on the board of the Alberta Wheat Commission and three regional representative positions have been filled by acclamation. Joining the board of directors is Trevor Petersen from Penhold and returning director Terry Young from Lacombe. The three regional representatives are Jason Lenz from Bentley, Michael Ammeter from Sylvan Lake, and current chair Kent […] Read more