(Ralph Pearce photo)

Pearce: Cereal seed firm pressing certified seed issue

Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s no secret that the cereal sector has had a tough time trying to convince growers to purchase certified seed, but companies such as C+M Seeds are actively making their case. Palmerston, Ont.-based C+M, during its annual Red Wheat Industry Day on Thursday, brought growers an extensive breakdown of updated plant breeders’ rights (PBR) in […] Read more


(Country Guide file photo)

Prairie wheat bids up sharply with weather worries

Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada — Cash bids for Prairie wheat were up sharply during the week ended Friday, as weather worries in North America resulted in improved basis levels and pushed U.S. futures sharply higher. Parts of Western Canada are too dry, harming production, while excess moisture in the U.S. is increasing disease pressure and slowing the […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. corn, DDGS imports likely as drought tightens feed supply

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada –– Livestock producers in Western Canada will likely have to import feed grains such as corn and dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) this year, as drought is seen trimming domestic barley and other feed production. “We’ve seen droughts before, and when it’s happened, usually what has to happen is we import other […] Read more


(Michael Thompson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Wet weather brings disease worries to Man. winter wheat

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Excess moisture in parts of central Manitoba could bring disease problems to winter wheat fields in the region. Fungicide spraying has occurred to control diseases such as fusarium head blight and leaf diseases, but farmers are running into some problems with applications, according to Bruce Burnett, crop specialist with CWB in Winnipeg. […] Read more

Rusts enter southern Manitoba from U.S.

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — While fusarium head blight and wheat streak mosaic have already popped up in Manitoba fields, a new strain of disease is making its presence felt in the province’s south. Stripe rust and leaf rust appear to have blown in from the United States. Pam de Rocquigny of Manitoba’s agriculture department said the […] Read more



Uncertainty over Russia’s wheat export tax seen slowing trade

Reading Time: 2 minutes Moscow/Abu Dhabi | Reuters –– Uncertainty over Russia’s new wheat export tax is slowing trade activity as traders who have signed forward contracts say they are unsure about how the formula will be implemented. The floating tax formula, to be launched from July 1, is intended to stop exports surging if the rouble drops steeply, […] Read more


Stacked Shipping Containers

Could containers be the answer to the West’s grain shipping woes?

A containerized grain supply chain would enhance competition, says University of Manitoba economist

Reading Time: 5 minutes Ottawa has long been in the business of trying to fix the problem of transporting Prairie grain to the west coast by rail. Yet the issues don’t get solved. “None of the policies introduced by Raitt or Ritz did anything to deal with the surge,” University of Manitoba’s Barry Prentice says. “Worse, they have done […] Read more

(Stephen Ausmus photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Canada may have already passed peak gluten-free

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada –– Increased demand by Canadians for gluten-free products had an impact on the wheat industry, leading reduced sales and experiments with new ways to feed the market. Now, industry specialists have mixed opinions on the future of gluten-free. Almost a third of Canadians, 10 million people, are seeking out gluten-free products, according to […] Read more