Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) hauled more carloads of Canadian grain in its first quarter of 2016 compared to the same period last year — but for less revenue per car. Calgary-based CP on Wednesday reported overall net income of $540 million on revenues of $1.591 billion for its quarter ending March 31, up from $320 […] Read more
Flax
CP pulls more grain for less in first quarter
Flax expected to lose a third of acres
CNS Canada — Canada’s flax acres are expected to fall about a third from last year’s levels, according to Statistics Canada data. One market participant says weaker prices have influenced farmers, while another says smaller crops are often overlooked during surveys. StatsCan estimates flax’s seeded area at about 1.1 million acres, compared with 1.6 million acres […] Read more
Doomsday Vault keepers move to lock up more funding
Oslo | Reuters — The Crop Trust, which runs a so-called doomsday seed vault in the Arctic, secured a doubling of its core funds on Friday and urged the private sector to do more to safeguard commercial food production. Friday’s pledges totalling about $150 million were mainly from governments, including the U.S., Germany and Australia, […] Read more
Post-CWB review flags grain trade ‘inefficiency’
WITHDRAWN, April 15, 2016: A historian’s review of the Prairie grain trade, commissioned by supporters of the former single marketing desk for wheat and barley, suggests history is repeating itself at grain growers’ expense — but the data on which the review is based is now being questioned. The Canadian Wheat Board Alliance on Wednesday released a […] Read more
Prairie farmers look to increase tech use, but face obstacles
CNS Canada — As spring approaches, some producers are searching for new technology to integrate into their operations — while others have opted out of the ag tech sector, whether by choice or through a lack of accessibility. “Even two years ago, it was way worse out there in terms of apps, in terms of […] Read more
CP scraps plans to buy Norfolk Southern
Reuters — Canadian Pacific Railway said on Monday it had scrapped efforts to buy Norfolk Southern, almost six months after it launched its unsolicited US$28 billion bid for the fourth-largest U.S. railroad operator. The announcement comes days after the U.S. Justice Department urged the Surface Transportation Board to reject a voting trust arrangement CP had […] Read more
U.S. Justice Dept. urges rejection of CP voting trust
Reuters — The U.S. Justice Department on Friday urged a regulator to reject a voting trust Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) has proposed as part of its takeover bid for U.S. railway Norfolk Southern, saying it could hurt competition and would violate rules. In mid-November, CP disclosed a $28 billion offer for the Virginia-based company, which […] Read more
Monsanto cools on large-scale M+A outlook
Chicago | Reuters –– Monsanto on Wednesday effectively pulled itself out of the mergers-and-acquisitions flurry in the seeds and agrochemicals industry, nearly a year after making a bid for rival Syngenta. The St. Louis-based company, which also reported a drop in second-quarter earnings, now sees its best dealmaking opportunities in smaller acquisitions, licensing deals and […] Read more
Glencore sells 40 per cent of agribusiness to CPP
London | Reuters –– Commodity miner and trader Glencore has agreed to sell 40 per cent of its agricultural unit to Canada’s state pension fund for US$2.5 billion, the company’s latest step to cut debt and soothe investor concerns about the impact of weak commodity prices. The sale values the agricultural unit as a whole […] Read more
CPP reported in talks for stake in Glencore agribusiness
Reuters — Commodity trading and mining firm Glencore is in advanced talks to sell a stake in its agricultural business to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The CPPIB would take a stake of up to 40 per cent, valuing the business at […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
