As farmers shut the door on the 2014 production season (save for those in Ontario still slogging through corn harvest), so too do we wind down the last of the Spray Tips series. In this post-harvest down-time, it's important to take a much needed breather, then, before you know it'll be time to start the... Read More
Category: Crop Production
Following the end of the Canadian Wheat Board's single desk, there was strong interest in growing wheat varieties from classes other than the traditional Canada Western Red Spring wheat that Canada is known for. There was plenty of talk about producing more high-yielding CPS (Canada Prairie Spring) wheat, but two years later, that buzz seems... Read More
Today, in Winnipeg, Manitoba,Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages announced an investment of $1,950,000 to the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC) on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. The funding, made possible through Agriculture and AGri-Food Canada's AgriMarketing Program under Growing Forward 2, is expected to aid the company in its... Read More
From a milling perspective, there's good news about the quality profile of the 2014 wheat crop in Western Canada. Mildew is to blame for much of this year's Canada Western Red Spring wheat falling outside of the top two grades, but wheat grading as #3 CWRS due to mildew is still exhibiting quality characteristics that... Read More
Corn and soybean growers in Ontario know that neonicotinoid-containing seed treatments are under close scrutiny by the public and by the provincial government. When provincial department mandate letters were sent out in September, Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne called for a "meaningful reduction" in neonic use by 2015. As the clock runs down to the end... Read More
Shipping your own railcar can have numerous benefits, not the least of which is selling grain at a higher price than local elevators are willing to offer. At the same time there's also a fair amount of risk in counting on producer cars to market grain — just ask one of the farmers who are... Read More
Want to know what buyers look for in a soybean sample? Or what you don't want to see in your soybeans? This episode of the Soybean School takes us to the Canadian Grain Commission grading lab in Winnipeg. Thanks to Daryl Beswitherick, program manager for quality assurance and re-inspection at the CGC, for taking some... Read More
Farmers still have a bit of time to evaluate their fields for levels of grubs and wireworms, two key pests that will factor in to the need for a neonicotinoid pesticide seed treatment. And that's good news, because the deadline to ordering fungicide-only corn seed is rapidly approaching. Most companies have a mid- to late-November... Read More
The grain and oilseed market started the month of November the opposite of how it ended October, as the market dropped lower on the U.S. harvest catching up to its historical average pace and a stronger U.S. dollar (which can help Canadian exports, hence basis in Western Canada narrowing recently). Lack of consistent rail service... Read More
Saskatchewan's Ministry of Agriculture has released a report outlining the quality profile of this year's crop. Only nine percent of the province's spring wheat crop is projected to be graded number 1 — well below the 10 year average of 39 percent. For winter wheat, only three percent is expected to grade as number 1,... Read More