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Sunny days seen ahead for sunflower crops

MarketsFarm — Though sunflowers were at the mercy of Western Canada’s unseasonable weather in 2018, the 2019 growing season may be more predictable. In November 2018, some Manitoba sunflower crops were late to come off the field. A cold and rainy fall delayed the Prairie harvest, lowered average yields and impacted the overall size of […] Read more

Cracked soybeans enter a SunOpta soymilk processing plant at Modesto, California. (Video screengrab from SunOpta.com via YouTube)

SunOpta sheds U.S. Midwest organic corn, soy business

Organic food firm SunOpta Inc. has stepped out of the U.S. organic corn and soybean business in a $66.5 million deal with Minnesota-based organic startup Pipeline Foods. Mississauga-based SunOpta announced Monday it closed a deal with Pipeline last Friday for the Canadian firm’s organic and “specialty” soy and corn operations, which include five plants in […] Read more

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Cold, wet weather delays Prairie sunflower harvest

CNS Canada — For sunflowers it was a tough year that began with dry conditions at seeding time, then more dry weather in July and August, only to be topped off by a cold, wet fall. The quality of sunflowers, however, is said to be pretty good in Western Canada. Darcelle Graham, executive director of […] Read more

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Sunflower production seen beating StatsCan estimates

CNS Canada — Sunflowers in southern Manitoba are starting to come off and early indications point to very good quality. Ben Friesen, manager of the sunflowers, flax and bird food division for the Scoular Co. in Winkler, said although only a few samples have come in, what he’s seen so far is promising. Sunflower growers […] Read more

A sunflower crop in Manitoba. (MysticEnergy/Getty Images)

Sunflowers look good overall, bumper crops for some

CNS Canada — Luc Remillard expects to be one happy farmer next week. He’s expecting to get into sunflower fields on land he farms with his father in Manitoba’s southern Red River Valley. “It’s right up there with any bumper crop that we’ve had the valley here,” he said. Remillard, who farms near St. Joseph, […] Read more


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Manitoba sunflower acreage set to drop

CNS Canada — The closure of a sunflower processing plant in southern Alberta has Manitoba sunflower growers feeling uneasy this year. “Because of the plant closure there’s quite a bit of delay in delivery of the ’17 crop. So it’s discouraged quite a few guys from growing more (sunflowers),” said Ben Friesen, senior market manager […] Read more

(File photo)

Steady sunflower acreage expected

CNS Canada — Manitoba’s sunflower market is holding steady for the time being, with acres likely unchanged on the year despite shifts in the processing sector. PepsiCo last week announced it will shut its Spitz sunflower seed processing plant at Bow Island in southeastern Alberta and shift its production to the U.S. Meanwhile, Manitoba has […] Read more

(Bruce Fritz photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Sunflowers down, but not out in Western Canada

CNS Canada — Canadian sunflower plantings will be down in 2017, but perhaps not by as much as the official government estimate. Statistics Canada forecast the country’s sunflower area at only 50,000 acres in its planting intentions report. That would be down from 70,000 the previous year and the second-lowest acreage base of the past […] Read more


(Bruce Fritz photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Manitoba sunflowers ready for harvest

CNS Canada — Most sunflower fields in southern Manitoba are ready for harvest, but the province first needs to see some drier weather. A handful of fields have seen some harvest activity already, “but the bulk is still to come,” said Ben Friesen, purchasing manager with Scoular Canada at Winkler, Man. “If the sun shines, […] Read more

(Bruce Fritz photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Manitoba sunflowers take beating from storms

CNS Canada –– Manitoba crops have suffered an array of problems due to unfavourable weather this year, and sunflowers are no exception. “(Sunflower) crops would be looking really good if it wasn’t for the storms that have been rolling through Manitoba over the last few weeks,” said Troy Turner, agronomist with the National Sunflower Association […] Read more