Given recent federal moves to regulate Canada’s major railways into moving more grain, Claude Mongeau came to Winnipeg Wednesday feeling “a little bit like a general who lost the battle.” Speaking to the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, the CEO of Canadian National Railway (CN) said he was in town to make the case that “regulation […] Read more
New interswitching rules more punishment than policy: CN CEO
Guenther: Farmers’ cash flow concerns feeding wide basis
Saskatoon | Grainews — Prairie farmers have been feeling the pain of a basis wide as the Saskatchewan sky, and the situation isn’t likely to improve any time soon. “We need to get rail movement to tighten supplies and improve these basis levels,” Cliff Jamieson, grains analyst with DTN, told delegates at the Grain Handling […] Read more
Guenther: West Coast’s grain capacity a question mark
Saskatoon | Grainews –– Western Canada’s rail network isn’t the only piece of the grain logistics puzzle that needs attention, farmers heard here at Wednesday’s Grain Handling and Transportation Summit. “If we did solve the rail problem, we have another large problem, and that’s West Coast terminal capacity,” said Richard Gray, a University of Saskatchewan […] Read more
Guenther: Gears grinding on grain freight co-ordination
Saskatoon | Grainews — The Prairie grain industry and railways are likely to behave like the House of Commons as they try to fix logistics problems plaguing the industry, Perry Pellerin told delegates here at the Grain Handling and Transportation Summit. “There’s going to be a lot of finger-pointing. A lot of badgering. Maybe even […] Read more
Guenther: Tensions risk holding back Ukraine’s ag potential
When Mike Lee moved to Ukraine six years ago, he didn’t think he’d end up with a front-row seat to a conflict that could tip into outright war. Lee is an agronomist and agribusiness consultant hailing from the United Kingdom. He’s farmed, taught agriculture at Writtle College in the U.K., and consulted in other countries, […] Read more
Persistence key for market access to China, Vilsack says
San Antonio | Grainews –– Gaining market access to China may come down to persistence and patience, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters at Commodity Classic in San Antonio. Achieving market access to China has been easier said than done for the U.S. at times. China has turned back over 600,000 tonnes of U.S. […] Read more
Black Sea tensions stoke concerns over grain exports
Chicago | Grainews — Rising tension over increased Russian military presence in the Crimean peninsula has elevated concern in the western grain trade over exports in the near term. “The concerns about exporting wheat and corn definitely are a short-term issue here that could delay some of the shipments out of that region of the […] Read more
Cheerios maker not taking all products GM-free
General Mills still supports genetically modified (GM) technology, despite the food company’s move to market Cheerios as free of GM ingredients, a company representative told CropSphere delegates Tuesday in Saskatoon. “From General Mills’ perspective, we want to do what consumers are anticipating and wanting,” Steve Peterson responded when asked about the company’s GM-free Cheerios. Peterson […] Read more
Guenther: Dairy calves show benefits when raised socially
Cognitive development is a term more commonly heard in university psychology classes than agriculture research. But how a dairy calf’s brain develops has implications for housing systems. Whether farmers decide to house calves individually, in pairs or in groups, each housing system has its advantages. In the first few weeks of a calf’s life, most […] Read more
Guenther: A+W supplier seeking more ranchers
The Canadian supplier of A+W Canada’s “Better Beef” wants your cattle. Alberta-based Spring Creek Ranch, an operation known until now in farming circles mainly for its stewardship efforts, has become a featured player in the burger chain’s new promotions and is recruiting producers to help it fill A+W’s requirements at home. “There are many Canadian […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
