Canada's Prairie crop belt will produce less wheat and more barley this year, with excessive moisture in Manitoba and Saskatchewan limiting the projected harvest, the Canadian Wheat Board said on Tuesday in its first forecast of the year for the region. Flooding will hit the world's biggest spring wheat and durum exporter for the second[...]
Wet conditions hit size of Prairie wheat crop: CWB
Record Australian handle punches up Viterra’s Q2
“Record shipments” in its Australian grain handling pipeline have added more heft to the second-quarter ledger for Canada’s biggest grain handler. Viterra last week booked profit of $33.08 million on $2.702 billion in revenue in its quarter ending April 30, up from $18.41 million on $2.027 billion in the year-earlier period. “From a strategic perspective, […] Read more
Time to sell feed barley, analyst suggests
The price of feed barley has been trending higher throughout the spring and into seeding time, but one industry analyst said the market may soon start to back off. Gerald Snip of Marketplace Commodities at Lethbridge, Alta., said a lack of deliveries from producers has been behind the increase in price, but that could change[...]
Saputo posts higher year-end profits, eyes cost cuts
A "more favourable" dairy ingredients market helped boost year-end sales and profits for Canada's biggest dairy processor, but bigger bills have Saputo looking at ways to contain its operating costs in 2011. The Montreal company on Tuesday booked net earnings of $451.12 million on $6.025 billion in revenues for the year ending March 31, up[...]
Cargill’s beef chief takes lead on food safety work
The Canadian-born Cargill executive who oversaw construction of the company's beef packing plant at High River, Alta., will now be responsible for the company's global food safety efforts. Bill Buckner, a southern Ontario native and McMaster University graduate who managed the High River plant from its opening in 1989, has been a senior vice-president at[...]
U.S. farmers face uncertainty of CWB deregulation
The expected end of the Canadian Wheat Board’s single-desk marketing powers for western Canadian wheat, durum, and barley in 2012 will likely lead to some adjustments in the flow of grain between Canada and the United States. Such a move could create some uncertainty for U.S. farmers who could soon face increased competition from Canadian […] Read more
Crush margins gain strength with crop concerns
Canola crush margins have seen some upward movement over the last week, thanks in large part to the seeding concerns across the Canadian prairies. Canola crush margins for July were bringing $86.48 per ton as of June 6, according to ICE Futures Canada. That compares with $77.67 per ton a week ago, and $78.22 per[...]
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Regular delivery of Farm Business Communications’ print publications may be affected by a labour disruption this week by members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). In the event of a strike by Canada Post’s CUPW employees, full issues of your publications — including Grainews, Country Guide, Canadian Cattlemen, the Manitoba Co-operator, Alberta Farmer […] Read more
Broadcasting seed only option left for some
Broadcast seeding, the option of last resort, could become the only option left to farmers struggling with wet fields and rainy forecasts. Extension officials don’t recommend the strategy, whether by air or floater, but with time running out, they’re offering their best advice for how to make it work. As of May 25, some farmers […] Read more
End of Russian export ban seen having minimal impact
After not allowing grain to leave the country for almost 11 months, Russia is set re-open its export market July 1, bringing with it fears that some business will be lost in Canada and the U.S. Russia has said it will begin exporting grain again on July 1. “Last year’s crop was a historic disaster, […] Read more
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