Alberta’s new premier has tapped a not-quite-rookie MLA with experience in farming, farm policy and U.S. politics as his new minister of agriculture and forestry. Jason Kenney, sworn in Tuesday as premier, named Devin Dreeshen, the MLA for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake since last July, to handle the ag and forestry file. Dreeshen came to the UCP’s […] Read more
Alberta UCP’s trade critic named ag minister
Keeping cool under cover a benefit of cover crops
American farmers use cover crops to moderate soil temperature
Cover crops can positively affect a wide range of soil health characteristics. According to some American farmers, the ability of cover crops to moderate soil temperature is also important but less visually noticeable. Why it matters: Extreme soil temperatures limit biological activity. Keeping the ground covered helps moderate those swings, benefitting crops. According to Adam […] Read more
Report shows slower pace for rising farmland values
While lower-valued farmland more often showed a higher rate of increase, and price hikes varied from region to region, Canada’s farmland values on average have booked their slowest year-over-year rate of increase in almost a decade. That’s according to the annual Farmland Values Report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC), in which the federal ag lending […] Read more
Investors call for reprieve for Bayer bosses after AGM rebuke
Frankfurt | Reuters — Three of Bayer’s largest German investors said the drugmaker’s embattled management needed to stay at the helm to avoid further upheaval, despite their unease over a share price slump in the wake of the US$63 billion Monsanto takeover. The backing for CEO Werner Baumann comes after an unprecedented rebuke at the […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn firms as rains stall planting
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures firmed on Monday, hitting the highest point in a week as wet weather across much of the U.S. Midwest and forecasts for continued rains this week threatened to prolong spring planting delays. Soybeans were lower on sluggish U.S. exports, abundant global supplies and worries that delayed corn seeding […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn higher on wet weather forecast
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures rose about one per cent on Friday as wet weather forecast for the Midwest crop belt prompted short-covering, analysts said, while soybeans fell to multi-month lows. Wheat futures firmed slightly but still recorded a weekly decline as ample global supplies anchored the market. Chicago Board of Trade July […] Read more
ADM’s move to spin off ethanol assets speaks to industry’s woes
New York/Chicago | Reuters — Biofuels pioneer Archer Daniels Midland took another step toward abandoning its pure-play ethanol assets on Friday, the latest sign of the industry’s struggles with U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade wars, thin margins, and overproduction. U.S. law requires ethanol to be blended into gasoline but domestic demand for the biofuel added […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soy higher after three-day skid
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures closed higher on Thursday, snapping a three-session slide, while corn and wheat rebounded from contract lows as fund-driven selling paused and forecasts signaled more U.S. planting delays, traders said. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) July soybeans settled up four cents at $8.72-3/4 per bushel (all figures US$). CBOT […] Read more
Bunge names acting chief as new CEO
Reuters — Global grains trader Bunge on Thursday named Gregory Heckman as its chief executive officer, three months after he took the helm in an interim capacity. Heckman, a founding partner of private investment firm Flatwater Partners and the former chief executive of grains trader Gavilon Group, was appointed acting CEO in January after long-serving […] Read more
StatsCan confirms smaller canola acres, more wheat
MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers intend to seed more spring wheat and less canola in 2019, according to Statistics Canada survey results released Wednesday. Additional shifts are also likely in subsequent reports, as dry conditions in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan may alter some intentions. Statistics Canada forecast canola area for 2019 at 21.3 million acres, which […] Read more
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