Neil Townsend (left) of FarmLink and Jason Newton of Nutrien discuss farm consolidation at the Grain World conference in Saskatoon on Nov. 28, 2019. (MarketsFarm photo by Glen Hallick)

Grain World: Farm consolidation key to increasing yields

Saskatoon | MarketsFarm — Consolidating farms — going from numerous small operations to fewer, but much larger, farms — is central to improving crop yields, according to grain industry observers Neil Townsend and Jason Newton. Townsend is the chief market analyst for FarmLink Marketing Solutions, while Newton is the chief economist and head of marketing […] Read more



(SKHoward/iStock/Getty Images)

Climate change has U.S. fund managers adjusting agriculture investments

New York | Reuters — After historic floods devastated Midwestern agricultural states this spring, some fund managers are evaluating how climate change will affect the long-term value of companies that make or sell products ranging from tractors to fertilizer. The issue is not simply the unpredictability of weather. Instead, fund managers say, they are struggling […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

Cargill profit jumps on meat demand, big U.S. crops

Reuters — Global commodities trader Cargill on Tuesday reported a sharply higher adjusted quarterly profit led by strong results from its beef and turkey businesses and robust demand for North American grain and oilseed crops. The privately held company said adjusted operating earnings jumped nearly 80 per cent in the second quarter ended Nov. 30 […] Read more




Crop prices to stay under pressure

Commodity News Service Canada – North American farmers hoping for weak commodity prices to right themselves could be waiting for quite a while, according to one of the speakers at the Cereals North America conference going in Winnipeg this week. Dan Basse, president of AgResource, said  currency issues are making life very profitable for farmers […] Read more


Any delays to seeding due to spring rain aren’t expected to be as prolonged as last year’s, Drew Lerner told farmers in Regina. (Leeann Minogue photo)

Minogue: Optimism reigns at FCC outlook meeting

Regina — Despite commodity prices down off recent highs, resurgent transportation problems and crop disease issues across the Prairies, farmers heard all good news at Farm Credit Canada’s Ag Outlook 2015 conference here Tuesday. “The sky’s not falling,” said J.P. Gervais, chief ag economist for Regina-based FCC. Actually, he said, things are pretty good. If […] Read more