A view of BHP’s potash mine project north of Jansen, Sask. (BHP.com)

BHP delaying decision on Saskatchewan potash project

Jansen mine decision to be delayed by a few months

Reading Time: 2 minutes Melbourne | Reuters — BHP Group expects to present its board with a decision on whether to proceed with its Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan in a few months’ time — rather than mid-year — after choosing between two port options, an executive said on Thursday. The world’s biggest miner has estimated the project at […] Read more

File photo of a pea crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: Timely rains benefitting Saskatchewan crops

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — As with crops across the Prairies, pulses in Saskatchewan got a much timely shot in the arm with recent rainfall, according to Carl Potts, executive director of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. “I think pulse crops have benefitted from the rains we’ve had over the last two or three weeks here in the province,” he […] Read more


A Richardson Pioneer grain elevator in Saskatchewan on July 28, 2017. (Scott Prokop Photography/CNW Group/Richardson International)

Richardson building new southwestern Saskatchewan elevator

On-site crop inputs facility to follow

Reading Time: < 1 minute Winnipeg grain firm Richardson International has started work on a new high-throughput grain elevator in southwestern Saskatchewan, to be bookended by smaller elevators it already operates in the region. The company said Monday it began construction work earlier this month at Carmichael, about 65 km southwest of Swift Current, about three km south of the […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canary Seed Development Commission of Saskatchewan)

Canary seed gains official ‘grain’ status

New regulations to take effect Aug. 1

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — No longer just for the birds, canary seed will soon gain official status under the Canada Grain Act, the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) announced Wednesday. Following stakeholder consultations and calls from producers the CGC is implementing regulatory changes for the crop effective Aug. 1. The move to official status was good news to […] Read more


Map from the Canadian Drought Monitor as of May 31, 2021. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Drought conditions improve in May for some of Prairies, not all

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Significant precipitation through May relieved drought conditions across parts of the Prairies, while other areas remained significantly dry, according to the latest assessment from the Canadian Drought Monitor as of May 31. This precipitation improved soil moisture conditions for the short-term, decreasing the area of moderate (D1) and severe drought (D2) in central […] Read more

Nutrien’s potash facility at Vanscoy, Sask. (Nutrien.com)

Nutrien to boost potash output on global demand

Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — Fertilizer company Nutrien said Monday it expects to increase potash production by about half a million tonnes in the second half of the year compared to earlier expectations, due to strong global demand. As crop prices rise, farmers have greater incentive to use fertilizer and maximize yields, boosting potash demand and spurring a […] Read more


Mosaic’s potash facility at Esterhazy, Sask. (Greg Berg photo)

Flood risk forces Mosaic to shut Esterhazy potash shaft

Company to restart Colonsay mine

Reading Time: 2 minutes Winnipeg | Reuters — Fertilizer producer Mosaic Co. said Friday it would immediately cut production at its biggest potash mine due to flood risks, and restart an idled mine to offset some of the reduction. Mosaic’s K1 and K2 mine shafts at Esterhazy, Sask., about 75 km southeast of Yorkton, have long been prone to […] Read more

A view of BHP’s potash mine project north of Jansen, Sask. (BHP.com)

BHP reported in talks with Nutrien on potash partnership

Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — BHP Group is in discussions with fertilizer maker Nutrien about a partnership in the miner’s massive potash project in Saskatchewan, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing sources. Potential options include Nutrien acquiring a stake in BHP’s mine at Jansen, Sask., or becoming the mine’s operator and selling the potash through its channels, the report said, […] Read more


A view of Ceres Global Ag’s Northgate, Sask. facility as seen from its fertilizer shed in 2018. (Grainews photo by Lisa Guenther)

Ceres plans southern Saskatchewan canola crush plant

U.S. firm to build plant at border grain terminal

Reading Time: 3 minutes U.S. ag commodities firm Ceres Global Ag, which in recent years has built up a Prairie grain and oilseed origination hub near the North Dakota border in southeastern Saskatchewan, now plans to crush canola there also. The Minneapolis company said Tuesday it plans to spend US$350 million to build an integrated crush plant with capacity […] Read more

Cutworms. (Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Prairie growers on lookout as insects seize opportunity

Dry conditions, delayed seeding lift pest counts

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — With most Prairie growers’ newly seeded crops already up against dry conditions, growers remain on the lookout for insects which further threaten the health of those seedlings. Considering the high prices of many crops this season, the potential damage would be more costly. John Gavloski, entomologist for Manitoba Agriculture, said there is a […] Read more