(FIle photo by Allan Dawson)

Winter cereal growers in holding pattern as clouds loom

CNS Canada — Dry conditions in southern areas of Saskatchewan and Alberta are limiting winter cereal seeding so far, as farmers wait for rain. But that’s not the best strategy, according to Cordon Geisam, the southern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta territorial manager for FP Genetics, a Regina-based seed company that deals in fall rye hybrids. […] Read more

(Michael Thompson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Early U.S. winter wheat harvest supports low-protein fears

Chicago | Reuters — The earliest reports from the start of the U.S. hard red winter wheat harvest underscored industry fears of a second straight year of low protein, a factor that shifts the market’s focus to prospects for the North American spring wheat crop, a higher-protein variety. “It’s probably a foregone conclusion at this […] Read more

Mixed conditions loom over Manitoba winter cereals

CNS Canada — A mix of freezing and warming conditions put Manitoba’s winter cereals in uncertain condition, following months of promising weather, according to the head of an industry group. Manitoba’s winter wheat and fall rye crops had ample snow cover throughout the winter, which supported crops, but more recently, conditions turned slushy, then froze […] Read more


(MGEX.com)

U.S. wheat market watching weather closely

CNS Canada — U.S. wheat futures posted sharp losses over the past few weeks, but values found support on Tuesday as weather forecasts provide nearby direction, according to an analyst. Minneapolis and Kansas City wheat contracts lost roughly US30-40 cents per bushel over the past month, as ample world supplies weighed on values. “We’ve certainly […] Read more


(USDA.gov via Flickr)

U.S. farmers cut winter wheat acres to 108-year low

Washington | Reuters — U.S. farmers slashed their winter wheat plantings to the lowest in more than a century as supplies of the grain ballooned to a 29-year high, the U.S. Agriculture Department said Thursday. USDA also dialed back its harvest estimates for the U.S. soybean and corn crops but 2016-17 marketing year production of […] Read more

Stripe rust overwintered further north than usual going into the 2016 growing season, Cargill’s Linda Freitag said at SWAC. (OMAFRA photo)

Greig: Lessons learned from Ontario crops’ pest pressures

The warmer winter and subsequent drought defined the 2016 cropping season in Ontario, resulting in more disease and insect pressures and then challenges managing them. Three agronomists gave an overview of the 2016 cropping season at the SouthWest Agricultural Conference in Ridgetown, outlining challenges and wins for the year. Leanne Freitag, Cargill’s manager of agronomy […] Read more



Manitoba winter wheat in good shape

Group pushes for national wheat research strategy

Commodity News Service Canada — Despite heavy rains throughout July, Manitoba’s winter wheat is in good condition moving into desiccation, the head of an industry group says. The Manitoba winter cereals group is also preparing for an upcoming government program by working alongside other Canadian wheat commissions. “Everybody is still pretty happy. The winter wheat can […] Read more