The latest production estimates in flax are lower than originally projected, but that doesn’t mean the market will see a large increase in value. In its Aug. 24 report, Statistics Canada said there were 365,000 tonnes of flax grown in Canada in 2011 — lower than trade estimates which ranged from 445,000 to 531,000 tonnes. […] Read more
Low flax supply doesn’t mean price increase
UN agency warns of possible bird flu resurgence
The United Nations has warned of a possible major resurgence of bird flu and said a mutant strain of the H5N1 virus was spreading in Asia and elsewhere. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Monday urged increased surveillance and preparation for a potential outbreak of the virus, which it says has infected 565 […] Read more
Fake pesticides now big business in Europe
The illegal trade in counterfeit pesticides, often by organized gangs, has grown into a multimillion-euro industry in Europe, according to an Aug. 25 story in the Wall Street Journal. The story cites an example of 28 tonnes of counterfeit pesticides destined for Lithuania seized in Hamburg, packed alongside labels and measuring cups purporting to be […] Read more
Canada’s canola crop record-sized, but smaller than expected
Canada's canola output in the 2011-12 crop year will be record large, but the estimate released by Statistics Canada in its first crop production survey fell below what market participants had been anticipating. The government agency pegged Canada's 2011-12 canola crop at a record 13.193 million tonnes, up from the 2010-11 level of 11.866 million. Pre-report[...]
Drought stunts husk growth, exposes corn ears in Indiana
Purdue Extension agronomist Bob Nielsen reports that a period of extremely dry weather followed by later-season rain has left some Indiana corn with husks shorter than their ears, exposing kernels and portending reduced grain quality at harvest.The phenomenon, often described as "ears outgrowing their husks," is the result of stunted husk leaf development combined with[...]
Ontario funds on-farm dairy processors
The Ontario government has announced funding for a project to produce, market and gauge the demand for dairy products made with milk from specific herds of cattle. Amount of funding was not announced. Project Origin is a joint venture between the Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) and five dairy-producing and processing businesses. "Thanks to the[...]
Well, it could have come from the bull named ‘Dynamite’
A spill of frozen bull semen bound for a breeder in the state of Texas triggered a scare on Tuesday that temporarily shut down a U.S. interstate highway during the morning rush hour. The incident began when the driver of a Greyhound bus carrying the freight alerted the fire department he had lost a part […] Read more
Renewable energy program launched for B.C. farmers
Farmers in British Columbia can now apply for federal/provincial funding to help sort out how to fit renewable energy technology in their farm or food processing operations. The two levels of government last week released application forms for their Renewable Energy Technology (RET) Feasibility program, under which “in-depth” assessments are run on the viability of […] Read more
Syngenta suing Bunge over rejection of biotech corn
Syngenta Seeds, a unit of the world’s largest agrochemicals company Syngenta AG, has filed suit against major grain handler Bunge for refusing to accept a type of its biotech corn. Syngenta claims Bunge’s North America operations are illegally refusing to handle a type of genetically modified corn that is designed to protect the crop against […] Read more
Klassen: Yearling prices soften on record U.S. placements
Yearling prices were steady to $2 per hundredweight lower on average last week while calves were steady to $2 higher. Shortkeep steers came under pressure as the industry anticipated record-large U.S. feedlot placements during July. Feedlot demand started to subside given the uncertainty in the fed market. However, by the end of the week, Alberta […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
