Richardson International, which spent $140 million to expand its port terminal in North Vancouver in 2016, had its registration to ship canola to China cancelled on March 1 — a move that sent shock waves through the entire canola sector.

Growers fear a China crisis over canola

Farmers are worried but quiet diplomacy is the best option, says Alberta Canola official

Reading Time: 3 minutes Wait and hope. And test. That’s about all Alberta canola growers can do as what appears to be political gamesmanship by China plays out. News that Canada’s biggest buyer of the oilseed had cancelled Richardson International’s registration to ship canola prompted worried producers to call the Alberta Canola Producers Commission. “At first it was kind of […] Read more

Testing for falling number. (Canadian Grain Commission photo)

Grain grading revamp may add falling number, DON as factors

Two significant grain specs that aren’t yet factors for a crop’s official grade are now under consideration to join that official list. The Canadian Grain Commission on Monday put out a call for “grain sector stakeholders” to submit their views before May 10 on a proposal for falling number and deoxynivalenol (DON) to both become […] Read more


You can determine the protein content of your wheat using the Canadian Grain Commission’s 
free Harvest Sample Program.

Protein premiums drop from historic high in 2018

Shopping around can reveal how buyers are grading your wheat and how they pay for protein premiums

Reading Time: 2 minutes The 2018 crop year featured a strong protein premium for wheat, in particular hard red spring wheat. Neil Blue, provincial crop market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, looks at the situation with protein premiums on wheat in 2019. Blue says that wheat protein premiums this crop year have dropped back to below-average levels due […] Read more

(File photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Weekly canola exports pick up

Weekly Canadian canola exports hit their highest level in more than two months during the week ended Sunday, helping narrow the gap between this year’s export pace and the year-ago movement. Canola exports of 268,500 tonnes during week 26 of the crop year were roughly double the previous week’s total and the largest movement in […] Read more


It doesn’t hurt to check, says grain commission

It doesn’t hurt to check, says grain commission

Only licensed grain companies are required to post security that ensures farmers are paid for deliveries

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian Grain Commission is reminding producers that only licensed grain companies provide security that ensures farmers are paid when they deliver grain. “Do you know if the company you’re delivering to is licensed?” the commission asked in a recent tweet. A complete list can be found under ‘Licensed grain companies’ at the Canadian Grain […] Read more

Lagos, the Nigerian capital, is guesstimated to be home to anywhere from 14 million to 21 million people. Not surprisingly, it’s not a stable market but it’s an important one for Prairie farmers, says Sylvan Lake producer Kevin Bender, who travelled to the city last month to promote Canadian wheat.

In the end, the conversation always turns to quality

Whether they make pasta or couscous, blend it or mill it straight, buyers associated Canada with quality wheat

Reading Time: 4 minutes Quality counts, whether in developing markets or established ones. That was a key takeaway for two Prairie farmers who participated in New Crops Missions prior to Christmas. “I was surprised in Ghana that two of the millers were using 100 per cent Canadian wheat,” said Kevin Bender, outgoing Alberta Wheat chair and a Cereals Canada […] Read more


Rail cars in Vancouver. (Photo courtesy/copyright Canadian National Railway)

Canadian canola demand off year-ago pace

CNS Canada — Canadian canola exports and domestic usage are both falling behind the year-ago pace, according to the latest Canadian Grain Commission data. Canada exported only 63,700 tonnes of canola during the week ended Jan. 6, according to the report. That compares with the average weekly movement during the crop-year-to-date of about 200,000 tonnes. […] Read more

It pays to know how canola is graded. For example, “light green or greenish-yellow seeds — sometimes called ‘limes’ — are not distinctly green and are not included in the green total,” says the Canadian Canola Growers Association website.

A sea of green washed through this year’s canola crop

Green seed usually isn’t a big problem, but a quarter of this year’s harvest may be downgraded

Reading Time: 3 minutes Feeling a little green after getting the grade for a load of canola you’ve just delivered? You’re not alone — many producers are taking a hit after a year that produced unusually high amounts of green seed. “We’re grading about 80 per cent of canola at No. 1, but some samples are grading into No. […] Read more


Learn how to get more for your grain

Learn how to get more for your grain

Reading Time: < 1 minute Making the Grade, which will be held at Olds College on Dec. 18, will see participants divided into groups and rotate through four sessions: Scott Kippen of the Canadian Grain Commission will cover wheat grading (including falling number, DON, and storage); Kevin Sich from Rahr Malting will highlight issues such as chitting and kernel plumpness […] Read more

While there are a lot of PowerPoint presentations — like this one for Indonesian buyers, millers, and bakers — 
it’s the face-to-face meetings that are the key element of New Crop Missions.

Crop missions a whole new ball game under Trump

New opportunities in China and Japan a result of U.S. president’s actions

Reading Time: 4 minutes ‘Thank you, Donald Trump.’ Members of the recent New Crop Mission to Asia didn’t say those exact words. But the fallout from the belligerent U.S. president’s trade war with China is definitely one of the pluses that members of the mission encountered. “The big difference this year is the trade environment,” Cereals Canada president Cam […] Read more