Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — Canadian farmers are showing an increased interest in seeding oats this spring, despite a lack of activity from a pricing standpoint, as quality concerns in wheat and barley have growers looking to other cereals. “We are seeing a huge influx of acres into oats,” said Scott Shiels, grain procurement merchant with Grain […] Read more
Wheat disease risk sees farmers looking to oats
Canada Bread to shut Beauce-region bakery
Reading Time: 2 minutes Baked goods firm Canada Bread Co. plans to shut a pantry bread bakery in Quebec’s Beauce region and shift a nearby plant’s bread roll production to a third site in the province. The company, an arm of Mexican bakery firm Grupo Bimbo since 2014, announced Tuesday it will close its bakery at St-Come-Liniere, about 110 […] Read more
If you want to dispute a grain grade
If you don’t like the grade at the elevator, you can appeal to the Grain Commission, but most farmers choose to shop around for the best deal
Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s their legal right under the Canada Grain Act — if farmers don’t like the grade their elevator manager offers, they can appeal to the Canadian Grain Commission for an official ruling. But not many do. “In 35 years of buying grain, I’ve only had it once or twice with guys that I’ve dealt with,” […] Read more
How to take a representative grain sample from trucks and bins
Reading Time: 2 minutes How to take a proper representative sample from trucks and bins. You’ll need: Four identical pails that hold a minimum of 20 litres. Label two with an “A” and two with a “B.” A grain scoop or sampling ladle Sealable sample containers As the grain leaves the truck or the bin, use the grain scoop […] Read more
Wheat breeding: Public or private?
Some argue private investment will boost yields, but others note that public breeders have done a pretty good job so far
Reading Time: 4 minutes Making wheat a more competitive crop requires public and private breeder co-operation — and getting a return on investment from farmers buying seed. That was the consensus among panelists discussing wheat breeding at the 3rd Canadian Wheat Symposium in November. “My observation would be that ultimately farmers are going to be paying for this one […] Read more
Italy’s pasta labeling plan raises Canadian concerns
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winnipeg/Rome | Reuters — Canada has raised concerns with Rome about Italy’s plan to require country-of-origin labels on pasta sold there, Canada’s agriculture minister said on Wednesday about a move that is alarming Canadian wheat exporters just as a free trade deal gained European approval. Rome sent a draft decree to the European Commission in […] Read more
‘Mini-harvest’ likely to weigh on feed grains
Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada –– Seasonal lows in the Western Canadian feed grain market may stick around longer than normal this year, as the industry awaits the abnormal spring harvest of those fields left to overwinter this year. “The seasonals are fairly consistent,” said Jim Beusekom of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge, adding “we usually see the […] Read more
Halting the feed barley decline
Many growers still take a yield penalty in hopes of a malting premium, but breeders say feed varieties offer advantages
Reading Time: 4 minutes Feed barley has some tough competition. Once the second-largest crop by far on the Prairies, in recent years it’s had to compete for acres with canola and pulses. And while malting premiums are still tempting some growers, feed barley has to compete with cheap U.S. corn and corn gluten. As for the formerly touted qualities […] Read more
Eight things to look for in your soil test report
When you understand your soil reports, you’re in a better position to develop fertilizer plans with your agronomist. All soil testing labs report the same basic information, but each lab has its own unique format. No matter what your report looks like, first, check the information at the top: your name, address, field name, etc.[...]
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Durum acres to decline in 2017
Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada –– Canadian farmers are sitting on large stocks of poor-quality durum, which should cut into acres seeded to the crop this spring. Durum stocks in the country, as of Dec. 31, 2016, came in at 6.9 million tonnes, marking a new record for that date, according to Statistics Canada data going back to[...]
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A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
