Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Farmers with flax in the ground should be pleased come autumn. Statistics Canada revised its seeded acreage estimate downward in late June and that, combined with lower carryout stocks and several other factors, should bring strong prices. “Given the demand in the market from China, the United States and potentially even the […] Read more
Firm, steady flax prices seen in the cards
Canola prices vulnerable after StatsCan report
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — The latest acreage report from Statistics Canada failed to surprise most investors in the market, but still could leave canola futures looking overpriced, according to a trader. “It certainly is a negative number,” said Ken Ball of PI Financial in Winnipeg, referring to the agency’s estimate for canola. StatsCan’s report on Friday […] Read more
Crowd research
Is this crowdfunded program a sign of the way farmers will have to go to get the research that governments are slow to pay for?
Reading Time: 5 minutes It was a cold, mid-April morning near Redvers in the south-east corner of a decidedly un-spring-like Saskatchewan, and the flat fields all around us were still blanketed in white. Between the snow and the clouds, you could hardly tell where the sky ended and the earth began. I had arranged to meet research manager Lana […] Read more
Canola stocks comfortable, eyes on new crop
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Canadian canola stocks are rather large heading into the new growing season, but attention now is firmly on new-crop production. Statistics Canada on Friday pegged canola supplies in the country as of March 31 at 9.1 million tonnes, the second-largest on record for that time of year and about 1.1 million tonnes […] Read more
ICE to move canola trade to U.S. exchange
Reading Time: < 1 minute The business of trading and clearing canola futures is poised to leave Winnipeg for New York City this summer. Atlanta-based Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the operator of canola exchange ICE Futures Canada, announced Tuesday it will be “transitioning” the trading and clearing of canola contracts to New York-based ICE Futures U.S. and ICE Clear U.S. ICE […] Read more
Grain trade skeptical of StatsCan’s acreage outlook
Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada — After predictions of record canola area and a drop in pulse acres, traders and analysts are doubtful of Statistics Canada’s predictions for smaller canola acres, much larger wheat acres and only minor reductions in pulse acres. “It’s unusual for everybody to just be this out of whack on this report,” said Ken […] Read more
Plant Breeders Rights not so simple
New regulations give PBR regs more teeth, but breeders still want you to follow the law out of self-interest, not fear
Reading Time: 6 minutes When Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) got a major facelift two years ago, the seed trade in Canada responded with information campaigns saying that all was for the best. Upgrades in intellectual property protection weren’t a cash grab, farmers were told. Instead, they showed the international community that Canada takes property protection very seriously. That recognition, […] Read more
Prairie flax market flat, acres set to decline
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — A flat flax market in Western Canada has buyers feeling indifferent about this year’s prospects. “There’s no big hurrahs right now on flax… I hate to say it, I’m a very optimistic type of person, but it’s kind of a flat market right now,” said Ben Friesen, senior market manager at Scoular […] Read more
Richardson won’t renew canola, flax, soy funding
Reading Time: 3 minutes One of Canada’s biggest grain companies is stepping out of three Canadian oilseed industry organizations — and taking its funding when it goes. Winnipeg-based, privately-held Richardson International has announced it will not provide funding in 2018 for the Canola Council of Canada and the Flax Council of Canada, nor will it renew its funding commitment […] Read more
Flax Council of Canada to shut office
Reading Time: 3 minutes The national promotional agency for Canada’s flax industry plans to move forward without a bricks-and-mortar office starting next month. The Flax Council of Canada announced Monday its downtown Winnipeg office, which it shares with the Manitoba Flax Growers Association, will close effective Jan. 31. Going forward, the council said it will “continue to operate on […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
