A vessel is seen arriving at Odesa in southern Ukraine under the Black Sea Grain Initiative on April 12, 2023. (Photo: Yulii Zozulia/Nurphoto via Reuters Connect)

Loss of Black Sea grain deal not seen as threat to global supplies, for now

Alternate routes exist but would be more expensive

Geneva | Reuters — The end of the Black Sea grain deal would not pose an immediate threat to the world market as Ukraine would still be able to export supplies, although at such a high cost that production in the war-torn country would likely fall even further. Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations […] Read more

File photo of Highway 363 near Moose Jaw, Sask. (Mysticenergy/iStock/Getty Images)

Spring road bans loom across Prairies

Mid-March weight limits pending for heavy trucks

MarketsFarm — The looming spring melt across Western Canada will likely disrupt some grain and livestock movement over the next few weeks, as seasonal spring road restrictions come into effect across the Prairies. Spring road restrictions set axle weight limits for vehicles moving on certain roads to reduce the damage heavier loads can cause during […] 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.

High insurance premiums prevent hiring inexperienced AZ drivers

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

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.

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

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



Truckers arrive in a convoy to protest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine mandates for cross-border truck drivers, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, January 28, 2022.

Trucker vaccination mandate concerns commodity groups

Anxiety runs high as the farm sector awaits full impact

The vaccine mandate on truck drivers entering Canada has stirred a wasp nest of criticism from many sectors, not least from those who work in logistics and transport. Representatives of Ontario’s agricultural commodities are among those calling for a reversal of the mandate. “We’re very concerned. That’s the number one feeling among the organizations in […] Read more

Screengrab from a 2019 video profiling a day in the life of an Agropur bulk milk grader. (Agropur Cooperative via YouTube)

Agropur to shed bulk milk handling in Quebec, Nova Scotia

Unnamed buyers to take over Quebec milk runs

Dairy co-operative Agropur is stepping away from hauling farmers’ milk in two of the provinces where it does business. The Quebec company announced Monday it would sell its Quebec bulk milk hauling business to unnamed “companies whose core business is transporting liquid food products,” and would also halt its milk transport work in Nova Scotia. […] Read more

(Alexey Rezvykh/iStock/Getty Images)

No delays expected in fertilizer distribution

National fertilizer association doesn't expect any disruptions to deliveries

Should farmers expect delays to fertilizer deliveries heading into spring seeding? “Not if we can help it,” Fertilizer Canada CEO Garth Whyte said Thursday.”We’ve weathered all the rail system disruptions that we had over the last six months, and now, with COVID-19, we’re doing OK. “We’ve put contingency plans in at our manufacturing plants, at […] Read more