Latest Newsletter

Increased soymeal production is expected to lower prices for distillers grain, but Canadian cattle feeders wonder if increased demand for soybeans could lower U.S. corn acres and raise the price of feed corn.
Markets, News

Soy crush boom to hit feedgrain prices

American crushing plants are expected to put more meal on the market as they respond to increased biofuel requirements

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Glacier FarmMedia – Feedgrain prices are set to fall in coming years as soybean crush capacity soars in the United States, says an analyst. Annual crush capacity is expected to grow by 800 million bushels as grain companies capitalize on new policies like California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard that promote the use of soybean-based renewable […] Read more
Farmers load sacks of fertilizer into a seeder on a wheat field in China’s Henan province last fall. The government is using inspection certificates and export quotas to keep more fertilizer in the country.
Markets, News

China takes steps to slow phosphate exports

Government plans to use quota system to limit amount of fertilizer shipped out of the country to control domestic prices

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Reuters – China is rolling out a quota system to limit exports of phosphates in the second half of this year, analysts said, citing information from the country’s major phosphate producers. The quotas, set well below year-ago export levels, would expand China’s intervention in the market to keep a lid on domestic prices and protect […] Read more
Many agricultural companies need AZ drivers to haul grain, cattle and fertilizer, but insuring younger drivers or those with less than five years experience is becoming cost-prohibitive, if they can get insurance at all.
News

High insurance premiums prevent hiring inexperienced AZ drivers

Companies are in need of drivers but can’t find, or afford, to insure drivers

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The cost of insuring inexperienced AZ drivers is rising and it’s difficult to find a company willing to insure them.  David Buurma, LaSalle Agri Fertilizer owner, recently asked through Facebook for names of farm insurance companies that would insure his AZ drivers that have little to no commercial experience.  His question cultivated a flurry of […] Read more
The trucking industry faces an ongoing shortage of drivers, dispatchers, administration staff and heavy-duty mechanics.
News

Transport challenges continue to haunt agriculture sector

Labour shortages in the rail and trucking industries remain a major hurdle for the successful movement of products

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Glacier FarmMedia – Shifting trade patterns and labour shortages are challenging the agricultural transportation sector, said a panel at Canada’s Farm Show last month. Two years of pandemic restrictions, followed by the Russian attack on Ukraine, are far different hurdles than the typical weather challenges. “This isn’t just a grain story. This is potash. This […] Read more
News

Peterborough County Agricultural Wall of Fame inductees

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After a two-year hiatus, the Peterborough County Agricultural Wall of Fame Committee has announced it will be hosting its 2022 induction ceremony on Sunday, August 28 at 2 p.m. in the Agricultural Heritage Building at Lang Pioneer Village and Museum, Keene. The Wall of Fame recognizes those who have made an outstanding contribution to the agricultural industry in the region.  Dr. Bill […] Read more
A contract is more than an agreement. It is a legal document that is enforceable. If changes are made or you are unable to deliver, communication must be properly noted.
Markets/Business, News

Four things to know about grain contracts

Lawyers share practical tips for better understanding terms and conditions

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Contracts are important grain marketing tools. While price may be a key reason why farmers agree to a contract, there are other factors to consider. Some farmers in western Canada learned this lesson the hard way when they could not deliver on their contracts and grain companies could not source replacement commodities due to last […] Read more
Lisa Thompson, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, laughs while sharing memories of being the first general manager for the Ontario Dairy Goat 
Co-operative when it started two decades ago.
Livestock, News

Ontario Dairy Goat Co-operative celebrates 20 years

The organization has grown to be a major force in the North American goat milk sector

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Twenty years ago, 13 producers gathered around a kitchen table to discuss ways to grow Ontario’s dairy goat sector.  Now nearly 100 members strong, the Ontario Dairy Goat Co-operative (ODGC) has evolved from the kitchen table to two offices while maintaining its mandate that every member profits and benefits equally.  Why it matters: A co-operative […] Read more
Farmers gathered at the 2022 Ontario Forage Expo July 14 on the farm of Scott and Darlene Martin and family at St. Jacobs. The Ontario Forage Council and the Waterloo County Soil and Crop Improvement Association hosted the event after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.
Crops

Dry weather forces assessment of southwestern Ontario forage strategies

Timely rains in east should ease concerns about hay availability in that region

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Dry weather has affected hay and pasture yields in southwestern Ontario but the impact should be mitigated by a strong hay inventory and some bumper crops in eastern Ontario and Quebec. Ontario Forage Council (OFC) President Terry Nuhn said most areas west of a line running roughly from Toronto to Barrie have been persistently dry. […] Read more
When interest rates were near zero and food and fuel were abundant, problems could be avoided. That’s no longer the case.
News

Opinion: Populist politics can have negative impact on debt crisis

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Glacier FarmMedia – Crop and other commodity markets are off their highs, but don’t expect the commodity bull market to go away soon or for its impacts to fade. Prices for food, fuel and other indispensable commodities are still high enough to tip numerous nations into financial trouble, economic hardship, hunger and political strife. A […] Read more
Uptime for robotics depends on humans getting input delivery right.
Machinery, News

Precision field logistics

Succeeding with autonomous machinery in row crops requires focus on getting inputs and equipment to the field at the moment it’s needed

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Logistics carry the day, not tactics – or so goes the military adage.  However true on the battlefield, the saying also has resonance in crop production. It holds true for autonomous field implements, just as it has for analog equipment, though tech developers don’t always get the message right away. Why it matters: Field robots […] Read more

Cyber-Savvy Farmer

Glacier Farmmedia Podcast