Reading Time: 5 minutes The boards of the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) and Cereals Canada have agreed to pursue amalgamation by March 31, 2020. That’s if a proposal, yet to be developed, is approved by the two bodies’ member organizations, leaders Dean Dias and Cam Dahl, said Friday in separate interviews. “During the past week, both boards have […] Read more

Cigi, Cereals Canada agree to pursue amalgamation

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

Proposed transportation legislation gets thumbs up from grain industry
Reading Time: 2 minutes It might feel like Christmas came early for grain grower organizations, who have long been calling for reform of grain transportation regulations. The Federal government has promised to introduce legislation in early 2017 that is going to check some items off their wish list. Transport Minister Marc Garneau unveiled the federal government’s plans in a […] Read more

Canada’s durum wheat and the couscous factor
Canada’s durum meets the high quality requirements of its biggest market
Reading Time: 3 minutes Although durum wheat is synonymous with pasta as an end product, Canada’s biggest durum-importing region actually uses a significant percentage of its imports for couscous. “North Africa is different from the rest of the world with respect to the use of durum because a lot of it is used for couscous, whereas when the rest […] Read more

Are Canada’s farm organizations actually listening to their members?
Amid the falling commodity prices and rising input costs, one question is getting louder. Who do our farm organizations really represent?
Reading Time: 7 minutes The last few years have been tumultuous for Canadian grain farmers, especially in the West. Not only have we seen the end of the single-desk CWB monopoly, but we also watched as Ottawa passed Bill C-18, the Agriculture Growth Act (which included the approving UPOV 91) and as major changes were made to AgriStability. Farmers […] Read more

Minogue: Call your grain buyer before applying Manipulator
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farmers planning to try Engage Agro’s new plant growth regulator, Manipulator, this year will first want to call their grain buyers. Many Prairie farmers recently received letters from Winnipeg grain firm Parrish and Heimbecker, for example, stating P+H will not buy wheat treated with Manipulator this season. “We completely understand why a lot of the […] Read more

Winning with Team Canada
Applying the lessons learned by farmers on overseas trade missions is the shrewdest marketing move you can make this year
Reading Time: 7 minutes Last issue I disputed the marketing ability of most Canadian grain producers. I argued that what most farmers, advisers, and the agriculture industry overall calls marketing is simply price taking, so it is not true marketing. That is not to say, though, that there aren’t farmers who are true marketers. Here are the thoughts of […] Read more

Prairie wheat mildew report
Mildew led to widespread downgrading in 2014, but the crop’s overall quality outlook is still positive
Reading Time: 3 minutes This past fall, mildew has been one of a number of downgrading factors affecting the Prairie wheat harvest to a greater extent than last year, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s all bad news for finding markets for milling quality wheat. Each fall Cigi (Canadian International Grains Institute) receives samples of the different wheat classes […] Read more