Overall spring seeding of all crops in Alberta was just over 18 per cent complete, according to the province’s first crop report of 2024. The pace was nearly seven points above the five-year average.
Seeding in Alberta ahead of pace
Interpreting seed test results
Reading Time: < 1 minute Seed tests are a great way for producers to learn seed quality and health. Testing seed after harvest and again in the spring can provide seed management insights. A fall seed quality test gives an indication of the grain’s potential as seed. Spring testing gives insight into changes that may have occurred during winter storage. […] Read more
Corteva cuts sales forecast on weak demand for crop protection products
Net seed sales rose eight per cent from a year ago, aided by strong prices and increased corn acres
Reuters – Agricultural chemical and seed company Corteva CTVA.N cut its annual sales expectations as demand for its crop protection products showed signs of contraction. Rise in carrying cost of stock for distributors driven by higher interest rates and improved product availability have taken a toll on demand for crop protection products such as herbicide […] Read more
After growing GM corn for decades, some U.S. farmers open to Mexican restrictions
Biden administration seeks to challenge ban
Chicago | Reuters — Mexico has found unexpected allies as it tries to limit imports of genetically modified (GM) corn: some U.S. farmers who grow the crops. Farmers have for decades planted GM corn, which protects against insects and herbicides, with seeds sold by companies such as Bayer, Corteva and ChemChina’s Syngenta. But as believers […] Read more
China must raise self-reliance in ag tech, Xi says
Seed industry seen as weak link in food chain
Beijing | Reuters — President Xi Jinping wants China to accelerate efforts to achieve self-reliance in agricultural technology, identifying seed development and core equipment among areas to focus on, state media reported. The central leadership had said in 2020 that the country’s seed industry was a weak link in the food chain and needed to […] Read more
Corteva to exit some markets, cut jobs in cost-saving push
Canada remains among company's 'core' markets
Reuters — Seeds and pesticides company Corteva on Tuesday announced plans to exit about 35 countries and lay off roughly five per cent of its global workforce as part of the company’s cost-cutting plans. A surge in inflation this year to four-decade highs has forced Corporate America to slash planned spending and roll out measures […] Read more
Ukraine could lack seed for years, French producers warn
Paris | Reuters — Reduced production of crop seed in Ukraine due to war with Russia could affect the country’s grain production for several years, a French seed industry group said on Thursday. Ukraine, one of the world’s largest grain exporters, is widely expected to see its harvest shrink this year as Russia’s invasion disrupts […] Read more
Oil content of Canada’s canola well below average in 2021
MarketsFarm — The average oil content of Canada’s canola crop came in well below normal in 2021-22, according to the final quality report for the year from the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC). The average oil content came in at only 41.3 per cent for the year, which compares with 44.1 per cent the previous year […] Read more
USDA opens inquiry into fertilizer, seed prices
Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is opening an inquiry into the impacts of concentration in the fertilizer, seed and retail markets. The inquiry stems from the Biden administration’s July 2021 executive order to promote competition across the U.S. economy, the agency said in a release Friday. Global supply chain problems and inflation have […] Read more
With fertilizer costs high and seed scarce, U.S. farmers turn to soy
'These prices are just crazy'
Chicago | Reuters — North Dakota farmer Jennifer Meyer typically devotes at least 20 per cent of her 2,500-acre farm to corn, which provides a convenient feed for the cattle she raises with her husband. But this year she is looking to find another crop for those 500 acres near Wilton as she has been […] Read more
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