You cannot turn the TV on most nights during the nightly news without hearing some sort of commentary on the state of the Canadian economy. Agriculture is very reliant on the health of the consumer. Farmers are trying to decipher job reports, GDP growth, interest rates, CPI and a dozen other economic indicators. One of... Read More
Category: Western Canada
To say that Travis Toews is willing to take on challenges is putting things mildly. In fact if I was him I would say goodbye to my cows back home and get the frequent flyer program revved up, especially if his reign as President of CCA is anything like his predecessors. Travis is the new... Read More
Last week at the international livestock congress I heard many speeches about the past, present and future of the canadian cattle industry. At the beginning of congress the Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development welcomed the delegates to Calgary and wished them the best at their conference. Due to the fact Mr. Hayden is... Read More
When selling your crop more buyers bidding is always better. Adding another high capacity crushing plant to the mix is a great step to one allow for a further expansion of acres and more competition for farmers canola crops. In this episode of the canola school, LDM Foods President, Brian Conn talks about the new... Read More
Just when you think the wheat market is stable and that the supply and demand equation is fully priced in the market......BOOM!!!!!! Russia and some neighbouring countries decide to have a drought and WALLA!!!......The market have decided to go 2007 on us again. Who can stomach this volatility and craziness? Is this real or just... Read More
By Shaun Haney I spent the day in the Winnipeg area today and it is quite clear that Manitoba is closer to Ontario in the crop cycle than it's western province neighbours. In my opinion the crops that I saw are a good two and maybe three weeks ahead of Alberta. I saw many canola... Read More
With the fall run about to begin many feeders are in a very nervous place. It can be very difficult to make good business decisions when the market is nervous. If the list below continues to unfold through the fall it will really separate the good managers from the great managers. Or the lucky from... Read More
The lygus bug is a pest that continues to be a problem for farmers in the west. The need to scout the bug is from bolting on through the crop cycle. The lygus bug can cause significant yield loss and damage to the canola plant. In the early flowering period it can be easy to... Read More
Variety selection can be just as much about the milling quality as it is the agronomic traits. Before and after a variety is registered, companies like the Canadian International Grains Institute (CIGI) work to try and develop markets based on the qualities of the product. One of the qualities of the grain is its dough... Read More
In the United States grain carts have been very popular for quite some time. In Canada they are really catching on and becoming more common. As explained to me by Shawn Berry, Territory Manager, Unverferth, the grain cart provides increased productivity to the farm because the combine never stops to unload the hopper. Unloading on... Read More