Following significant restrictions by the Ontario government in 2015, seed corn companies in the province began to offer non-neonicotinoid seed treatment insecticide options. Now, a significant portion of corn seed sales carry non-neonicotinoid options. It's bizarre then, that the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change recently published data showing only a 22% reduction in the... Read More

With the European Union granting its conditional approval in late March, and U.S. antitrust authorities reportedly set to give their thumbs-up signal, Canada's competition regulator has yet to issue its decision on Bayer's proposed acquisition of Monsanto. The US$66 billion deal, which was originally announced in September 2016, has significant implications in the Canadian market,... Read More

It's been a difficult — if not devastating — start to the year for many in the agricultural community. And just when areas of North America were finally seeing a respite, and what could possibly have been called spring-like conditions, we're hit with another round of ice pellets, freezing rain, rain, and/or snow. For ranchers,... Read More

The third year of Monsanto BioAg’s BioAdvantage Trials (BAT) wrapped up with a morning event that had co-operators, agronomists, and reps feeling optimistic for the growing season to come. The event was held in Saskatoon, the home of partner brand Novozymes’ headquarters and a hub for Western Canadian Ag. The event would update attendees on... Read More

Grain markets were volatile this week with prices flip-flopping on what was more concerning — geopolitical risk or weather. Much less concerning were most of the largely market-anticipated USDA numbers. Some notable data-points from this week's WASDE (World Agricultural Supply and Demands Estimates): Russia’s wheat exports raised by 1 MMT to 38.5 million (a record);... Read More

News of Canada, Mexico, and the United States possibly reaching an agreement-in-principle in North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations in the next few weeks is creating optimism in Mexico. "The whole issue has gotten lots of attention lately," says José Díaz-Briseño, the U.S.-Mexico correspondent for the Mexico City-based Reforma newspaper, in the following interview. Earlier... Read More

Look for more Canadian milk to be passing though Kiwi-made milking parlours in the years ahead. That's according to New Zealand-based Waikato Milking Systems' CEO Dean Bell, who brought his company to Stratford, ON, this month to exhibit for the first time at the Canadian Dairy XPO. The New Zealand dairy industry currently supplies one-third... Read More