Late-season snowstorm brings Prairies moisture

CNS Canada — After a winter spent waiting for snow, farmers across the southern Prairies were happy when the forecast was right and Western Canada received a late winter snowstorm. “We’ve heard moisture’s coming before and it doesn’t show up or it goes around us. So when it started snowing and it started adding up […] Read more

Brown mustard. (Peggy Greb photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Prairie mustard acreage depends on spring moisture

CNS Canada — The 2018 mustard crop in Western Canada could hit half a million acres according to an industry expert, but he cautions that number could be much lower if dry soil conditions persist until spring. In 2017, there were 385,000 acres of mustard seed planted in Western Canada, down from 525,000 acres in […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market maintains upward trend

Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were quite variable this past week. Strength was noted in the eastern Prairie regions where markets traded $5 to as much as $10 above week-ago levels; however, Alberta steer prices were relatively unchanged but heifers traded $5 to $8 higher. Available feeder supplies will tighten as we approach the end […] Read more

Taking part in Agco’s Aug. 24 groundbreaking ceremony (l-r) were Greg Wells (operations manager, Agco Parts, North America), Lee Fuchs (Nick’s Service, Emerald Park, Sask.); Gerald Swystun (Full Line Ag, Swift Current, Sask.); Jeffrey Fluney (Dennills Agricenter, Dewberry, Alta.); Sean Ferguson (Full Line Ag); Warren Orth (Agriterra Equipment, Lacombe, Alta.); Rod Anderson (Wynyard Equipment, Wynyard, Sask.); Darren Parker (director of sales and marketing, Agco Parts, North America); and Chris Maas (Agriterra Equipment, Weyburn, Sask.). (Agco/BusinessWire photo)

Agco to ramp up Regina parts distribution

Prairie farmers using Agco equipment brands such as Massey Ferguson and Challenger can expect more types of parts to be in stock more often at the company’s Regina warehouse. The U.S. farm equipment firm’s Agco Parts arm on Friday announced a major expansion of its parts distribution centre in Regina, to be completed by early […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola market at mercy of weather

CNS Canada — ICE Futures Canada canola contracts climbed higher during the week ended Wednesday, following gains in the U.S. soy market. The dominant November canola contract posted a gain of $28.70 per tonne. That lifted it above major resistance to settle at $510.80. Prices were also boosted by concerns that rising temperatures in Western […] Read more


(Syngenta.com)

Syngenta exits canola seed business

Canola growers checking out Syngenta Canada’s 2018 seed guide for Western Canada will notice canola by its absence. Syngenta, which entered the Prairie canola seed market in 2013 and by this spring had six hybrid varieties on offer, said in a statement it has “recently taken the decision to exit the canola seed business.” The […] Read more


(Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Prairie oats at tipping point

CNS Canada –– Seeding delays in Western Canada could see more area shift into oats, which need a shorter growing season and minimal inputs compared to other options. However, with many fields still unharvested from last year, a tipping point will eventually be reached when nothing will be seeded at all in some areas. In […] Read more

Farmer Brian Derksen seeds wheat on May 2, 2017 near Miami, Man., about 80 km south of Portage la Prairie. (Screengrab from Allan Dawson video)

Prairie seeding off to ‘shaky start’

CNS Canada — Western Canada will likely see some favourable seeding conditions in the short term, one meteorologist says, though wet pockets in some areas need longer to dry out. “We are getting off to a little bit of a shaky start in some spots, but it looks like the weather pattern is going to […] Read more