I wrote a column last week that caused quite a stir, as was the intention. My tongue-in-cheek title did what it was intended to do: it sparked conversation and some lively debate, but it also got some tempers flaring over the increased regulatory burden farmers not just endure, but must also pay for. Read Top... Read More
Category: Crop Production
Cargill is looking at downsizing its crop input and grain handling presence in Ontario. The company is in talks to potentially sell its crop input and grain handling facilities in the province. "After an in-depth evaluation of its crop inputs and grain facilities in Ontario, Canada, Cargill has begun the process of assessing crop inputs... Read More
There's consensus that healthy soils with higher organic matter deliver a range of benefits from supplying nutrients, to building soil structure, to increasing water-holding capacity, and reducing erosion. But are enough farmers taking the required steps to increase soil health and organic matter? United States Department of Agriculture research agronomist Shannon Osbourne believes a stronger... Read More
Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay attended a Saskatchewan Pulse Growers' regional meeting in Regina on Monday and announced around $575 thousand in funding for pulse crop market development projects. The minister's visit comes amid market uncertainty for the Canadian pulse industry with India — Canada's largest export customer — having imposed 30 and 50 percent... Read More
Are you looking to push your wheat yields higher, while maintaining access to good milling wheat markets? Alliance Seed is excited to launch its new CPSR variety, SY Rowyn. With excellent milling quality and exciting market options, SY Rowyn is a win for grain producers and marketers alike. All Around Performer Released as a Dark... Read More
The world of agribusiness mergers and acquisitions has been very busy in the last 24 months, especially in the seed and crop protection industry, with three large deals closing in a relatively short time period. In any deal, there are opportunities for third party companies to acquire assets that must be shed due to competition... Read More
If you've been attending agricultural and food conferences over the last decade you've likely heard countless references to "feed the 9 billion" or to double production by 2050 to meet the appetite of a growing global population. Is it time we revisited this oft-cited food prediction? Penn State University's Mitch Hunter thinks so. Hunter and... Read More
Let's get down to the nitty gritty on this week's top agronomy questions, shall we? Peter Johnson is back for this last January 2018 instalment of Wheat Pete's Word, and it's an action-packed episode. Out west, farmers have two main concerns — lack of moisture and lack of moisture. This brings up two questions in... Read More
Does throwing the kitchen sink at your soybean crop provide an economic yield response? The answer is a definitive "No" says University of Minnesota associate professor Seth Naeve. His conclusion is based on the the results of a huge three-year U.S. study that he shared with growers attending the Southwest Agricultural Conference in Ridgetown, Ont.,…Read More
Crop input decisions would be made so much easier if only one year's weather would predict the next. But we know that one dry year doesn't make a trend, so while 2018 is looking dry in Western Canada will it stay dry for the growing season? Will crop disease be less of a threat because... Read More