Insights and Stories on Crops

Ritz asks CWB to allow full federal audit

Feb. 27, 2009 at 2:31 am CST

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has taken the Canadian Wheat Board up on its invitation last week to have federal Auditor General Sheila Fraser review its risk management practices. Going one further, however, Ritz also wants Fraser’s office to conduct “a full audit of all operations” at the CWB, the […]

“Natural” health licensing process streamlined

Feb. 27, 2009 at 1:58 am CST

UFCW to back Mexican state’s Canadian ag workers

Feb. 26, 2009 at 6:41 pm CST

Wittal: Analysts view canola as overpriced

Feb. 26, 2009 at 4:20 pm CST

By Brian Wittal

N.B. extends sugar bush maintenance funding

Feb. 26, 2009 at 2:33 pm CST

Seed potato treatment approved on wireworm

Feb. 26, 2009 at 1:34 am CST

Bayer CropScience has picked up registration for a new seed-piece treatment to suppress damage caused by wireworm in potato crops. Bayer said in a release Wednesday that its Group 4 liquid clothiandin product Titan will be available for the 2009 season as the only seed-piece treatment registered for suppression of […]

AARD takes over Alta. variety tests

Feb. 26, 2009 at 1:23 am CST

Alberta’s agriculture and rural development department will again directly oversee the provincial Regional Variety Testing (RVT) program for cereals, pulses and flax starting this year. The Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA) had co-ordinated the RVT program since 2005, but that responsibility reverts back to the province on […]

Agrium makes play for CF Industries

Feb. 25, 2009 at 8:00 pm CST

A major U.S. nitrogen and phosphate maker plans to “carefully evaluate” an unasked-for US$3.6 billion takeover bid from Canadian fertilizer and ag retail giant Agrium. The Calgary-based company on Wednesday submitted a proposal for a US$72-per-share cash-and-stock bid on CF Industries, a Chicago-area firm whose North American holdings include a […]

Wittal: Aggressive canola basis on offer

Feb. 25, 2009 at 7:21 pm CST

Our daily online grain marketing columnist Brian Wittal welcomes feedback and information on market conditions in your area, such as current offering prices, basis levels, trucking premiums and special crops contracts. Contact Brian today. Feb. 25 — Financial markets started off in a down mood today and tried to turn […]

By Brian Wittal

GrainWorld: Input costs to ease toward summer

Feb. 25, 2009 at 7:02 pm CST

Winnipeg (Resource News International) — Farmers who are able to wait until late spring or early summer to buy fertilizer are likely to see lower prices, David Asbridge told participants at the Canadian Wheat Board’s annual GrainWorld conference in Winnipeg. Asbridge is the client development manager and senior economist for […]

By Alana Vannahme