wheat and barley

Making change for cereal crop development

In the wake of deregulation, the cereals sector has needed to reorganize itself, and so far it seems like the major pieces have been picked up

Reading Time: 7 minutes When the Canadian Wheat Board was losing the single desk, there was no shortage of dire predictions about what the fallout might be. Even many of those in favour of an open market conceded that there were a lot of moving parts, and it was going to be necessary to proceed with caution lest very […] Read more

The WCWGA’s Blair Rutter says the handling system got too small under the CWB, and he sees more competition from new elevators such as those being built by CWB successor G3.

An open market is still a work in progress

A truly open market requires transparency of information, but the veil is still being lifted

Reading Time: 5 minutes When the Canadian Wheat Board lost its monopoly in 2012, Blair Rutter predicted that it would take 10 years to adjust to an open market system. “Moving from a centrally planned system to a market economy, it takes a while,” the executive director at the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association said in an interview. “We […] Read more


Oats (pictured) and barley will be two crops that enjoy a renaissance in the coming years, thanks to a renewed interest, a revitalized research initiative, and new varieties.

New in spring cereal crop varieties

Developments in the public breeding sector are generating excitement in spring cereals

Reading Time: 2 minutes The world of spring cereals may never be the same in Eastern Canada, especially in the next few years. In the past 12 months, two new positions have been filled within the public breeding sector, with new breaders at the University of Guelph and at Agriculture and Agri-Food’s Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre (AAFC-ECORC) […] Read more

Prairie crops had a bit of everything in 2015

Prairie crops had a bit of everything in 2015

Drought in the western Prairies had a lot of people concerned about production last season, but the latest information suggests the crop was bigger and better quality than expected

Reading Time: 5 minutes You can see it in the numbers — the StatsCan canola numbers that is. In August the agency predicted 2015 canola production at 13.3 million tonnes. By October that number had risen to 14.3 million tonnes and one industry watcher says it could be headed even higher. David Drozd of market advisory Ag-Chieve told Country […] Read more


Does Western Canada still need a grain transportation co-ordinator?

Does Western Canada still need a grain transportation co-ordinator?

The answer may be no, but there’s still a need for improved logistics between railways and grain companies

Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s been two years since the start of the infamous grain transportation backlog of 2013-14, but there’s still debate about whether a new organization should take over the former Canadian Wheat Board’s role as a transportation co-ordinator. “Most people like to focus on ’13-14 and say, ‘Look at the problems we created without the single […] Read more

Boosting bread flour with barley

Boosting bread flour with barley

Barley can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, regulate blood glucose levels and possibly offset certain cancers

Reading Time: 3 minutes Finding better ways to mill Canadian food barley into flour may open opportunities for its commercial use as a healthy ingredient. Preliminary work done several years ago at Cigi (Canadian International Grains Institute) revealed that milling performance of food barley is improved when it is blended with wheat, producing flour with enhanced nutritional properties. During […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed: Corn awaiting USDA, Sask. barley yields near average

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada –– Following are a few highlights in the Canadian and world feed grains markets on Friday, Oct. 9. • CBOT corn futures were posting small gains Friday morning, but were holding rangebound overall as traders were squaring positions ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly supply/demand report due out later in the […] Read more

(PortMetroVancouver.com)

Dawson: Ag exporters applaud historic TPP deal

Reading Time: 3 minutes Export-oriented Canadian farmers are giving the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement reached in Atlanta on Monday two thumbs up. The deal, which remains to be debated in Canada’s House of Commons and could take more than a year to be ratified by all 12 member countries, will see tariffs on Canadian products in those markets eliminated […] Read more


Researcher Dilantha Fernando says the goal is to introduce genetic resistance to fusarium and minimize the need for fungicides.

University sets its sights on fusarium

This major U of M lab program hopes to stop fusarium before it starts

Reading Time: 4 minutes Protecting crops from the ravages of fusarium is a never-ending job for investigators like Dr. Dilantha Fernando and his staff at the University of Manitoba. The most common species of the pathogen is fusarium graminearum, commonly known as fusarium head blight (FHB) or fusarium scab. It’s a cereal crop pathogen that has become the most […] Read more

(Rahr.com)

Malt barley prices strong despite ongoing harvest

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Commodity prices typically buckle under harvest pressure, but malt barley has been acting as the shining star of cash markets. Influencers within Canada and globally have contributed to the climb, according to one industry expert. Cash prices for delivered elevator malt barley range between $5.25 and $5.75 per bushel, according to Prairie […] Read more