Reading Time: 3 minutes This year’s grain crop might not be as big as last year’s bin-buster, but there’s still going to be “heavy demands” on the rail transportation system this winter. “The initial projections from Stats Canada for the 2014 crop are 57 million tonnes in western Canada — still a very large crop,” said Bruce McFadden, director […] Read more

There’s a mountain of grain to move
A big carry-over means there’s a whopping 73 million tonnes of grain to move

Alberta farm leader says rail system fix is on track
Ordering the railways to move more grain has grabbed the spotlight, but Kent Erickson says newly enacted legislation will bring long-term gains
Reading Time: 3 minutes New federal rail legislation is the first major step in building a sustainable and reliable rail transportation system, says the chair of the Alberta Wheat Commission. But in the meantime, extending an order-in-council that penalizes the railways if they fail to move a million tonnes of grain a week is the best short-term fix, said […] Read more

Are Prairie farmers still keen to move grain?
Canadian Grain Commission data shows deliveries to elevators have slowed considerably
Reading Time: 3 minutes The pace at which the handling and transportation system has been able to move grain off the Prairies and into export markets this spring has almost certainly exceeded all expectations. But the data through to late July has raised a new question: Are Prairie farmers still keen to move all the exceptional 2013 harvest? What’s […] Read more
Grain commission moves producer car administration online
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farmers can now administer their producer cars online. A new web application at the Canadian Grain Commission website means producers can arrange for credit for shipping charges with railways and pay freight costs. A producer may choose to work with an administrator or agent, who can arrange for credit for shipping charges with railways and […] Read more
Churchill enjoys busy shipping year
Churchill is nearing the end of a busy grain shipping season, with the tonnage moving through the northern port expected to come in well above the previous year. “We’ll be wrapping up in the next 10 to 12 days,” Darcy Brede, president and chief operating officer of OmniTRAX, said last week. More than 500,000 tonnes […] Read more