(Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Canada presses China on science in canola trade spat

Ottawa | Reuters — Canada is urging the Chinese government to stick to scientific facts in decisions on trade as Beijing plans to toughen its standard on Canadian canola shipments, federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay said Thursday. China’s quarantine authority, AQSIQ, notified the Canadian Food Inspection Agency last month that it would allow no more […] Read more





Photo: Reuters

Grain consortium lobbying hard for Australia’s biggest wheat exporter

Sydney/Reuters – A consortium seeking to buy Australia’s biggest wheat exporter, Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd (CBH), is stepping up lobbying for its offer amid concerns the deal may be snubbed and reports of a rival Chinese bidder. The Australian Grains Champion (AGC), which includes farmers and some former directors of CBH, wants to acquire and list […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Paterson taps brakes on China canola sales

Winnipeg | Reuters — Crop handler Paterson Grain will take a more cautious approach to selling canola to Chinese buyers for the near term, after China said it would toughen its standard on canola shipments from Canada, the CEO of parent Paterson GlobalFoods said. China’s quarantine authority, AQSIQ, told Ottawa last week it would allow […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Blackleg, big stocks seen behind China-Canada canola conflict

Reuters — A “scientific disagreement” between Canada and China over the risk of transmitting the blackleg fungus is behind China’s move to raise its standard for Canadian canola imports, an industry official involved in discussions said. But some traders say the real reason for a higher standard that may slow Chinese imports is the country’s […] Read more

(Cia.gov)

China tightens dockage rules on Canadian canola

Reuters — The Canadian government confirmed Wednesday that China has toughened its standard for canola shipments, an action that traders say may discourage sales to the country. China, Canada’s top canola export market, notified Ottawa on Tuesday of the new measures, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) spokeswoman Tammy Jarbeau said in an email statement. Reuters […] Read more


(Fertilizer Safety and Security Council)

Fertilizer expected to be pricier by springtime

CNS Canada –– Relatively cheap natural gas has helped push down fertilizer prices for Canadian farmers over the past winter, but that should change by springtime. One Manitoba farm leader noted urea fertilizer that went for $545 per tonne last August could now be acquired for $445 per tonne. “Phosphate fertilizer was going for $721 […] Read more

(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

China clears Xtend soybean variety for import

Reuters — Monsanto said on Feb. 3 it received import approval from China for its new genetically modified Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans and will sell the seeds in the U.S. and Canada for the 2016 growing season. China, the world’s biggest soybean importer, does not allow imports of new genetically modified crops until they […] Read more