A great deal of money is at stake over the grading of this year’s lentil crop. On top of the disease issues, wet harvest weather is causing bleaching and sprouting and wrinkled seed coats. Top quality product is going to be in short supply so there are large price spreads between the grades. There’s going to be some ugly looking samples and the downgrading will likely be the worst in the large green lentils. Right now, prices of around 30 cents a pound are being quoted for both No. 1 and No. 2. An Extra 3 large green lentil falls to a price of around 25 cents while a No. 3 slips all the way to around 20 cents. The difference between the top two grades and a number 3 is about 10 cents a pound – a whopping $6 a bushel. On a 25 bushel per acre lentil crop, that’s a difference of $150 an acre. On red lentils, the top two grades are being quoted in the 24 to 25 cent a pound range and that’s the quality you want to achieve because on the Extra 3 grade, price quotes are around 15 cents. On No. 3 red lentils, prices drop by a further cent or two. Every rain delay is costing lentil growers a small fortune. Note that prices will differ between the various buyers and prices are likely to change rapidly in the current environment. I’m Kevin Hursh.
DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.
Tags: agricultural products, agricultural services, crop protection, custom application, disease, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, grading, large green lentils, lentil crop, lentil prices, lentils, precision agronomics, red lentils, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology, wet harvest
An organization called the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council wants to hear from small-scale farm operators across Canada regarding their labour needs, whether they are farming full-time or part-time, alone or with help. The council is currently conducting research on the labour requirements of farm operations with annual gross receipts of less than $100,000. Statistically farms under $100,000 gross make up 65 per cent of all the farms in Canada. It’s an online survey and the deadline to receive responses has been extended until the end of September to receive a greater number of responses from each region across the country. The Council plans to use the information to better understand the labour needs on small-scale farms and to develop tools and resources to meet those needs. I suspect they’ll find out that small-scale producers can’t afford to hire labour or if someone is hired it’s only on a part time basis in a peak season. The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council isn’t fixated on small operations. They’ve already done a survey and a lot of work on operations with gross returns greater than $100,000, so this is a logical extension of their work. To take the survey or to see the work they’ve already done, go to www.cahrc-ccrha.ca. I’m Kevin Hursh.
DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.
Tags: agricultural products, agricultural services, Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council, crop protection, custom application, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, labour needs, precision agronomics, small-scale producers, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology
Take advantage of any little break you get in the weather. As I read emails from producers around the province, that’s a theme that emerges this year. Whether it was seeding, weed control, or now harvest, the producers with the best success are those who jumped on any reasonable window of opportunity to get the equipment rolling. It doesn’t always work that way. Some years you kick yourself for pushing the envelope. You regret not waiting for more optimal conditions. Patience would have been the correct course of action. This year, optimal conditions for field work have been fleeting. Jumping the gun has been the right decision. So far, the wet pattern that has prevailed throughout the growing season shows no sign of changing. Hopefully, we’ll get a break and see an extended dry spell at some point. In the meantime, there will be combines rolling and lots of tough and even damp grain going into aeration bins whenever an opportunity arises. It’s better to be putting tough grain into aeration now versus a month from now. I’m Kevin Hursh.
DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.
Tags: aeration, agricultural products, agricultural services, crop protection, custom application, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, grain, harvest, precision agronomics, seeding, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology, weed control
It could be considered an inadvertent intercropping experiment. Over the years, a number of farmers have tried growing peas with canola. This year, I have a 170 acre field that’s a mixture of large green lentils and oriental mustard. It wasn’t intentional. By the time I realized there were so many mustard volunteers in the lentil crop, the lentils were getting pretty advanced to do anything about it. Then there was another big rain and I decided to just let it go. When the mustard flowered, it looked like a mustard crop, but beneath the yellow blooms there was a good lentil crop. Both matured about the same time and I used Reglone as a desiccant, which is a registered product on both. If anything, it has been easier to combine the mixture than lentils alone. The gross yield was approximately 35 bushels an acre. I bought an old rotary screen cleaner and with it too wet to continue combining we’re now in the process of separating the seed. So far, there appears to be nearly 15 per cent mustard. It’ll be interesting to see how the yield and quality compares with my other lentil crops where there aren’t tame mustard volunteers. I’m Kevin Hursh.
DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.
Tags: agricultural products, agricultural services, crop protection, custom application, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, green lentils and oriental mustard, peas and canola, precision agronomics, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology
There is a wide range in quality over the limited amount of crop that’s been harvested. Within the lentil crop, a lot of disease and sprouting is evident, although there has also been some good quality harvested. With the weather this week, you have to think the quality of many crops is going to take a further hit. This is especially true on the eastern Prairies where there has been a lot of rain in the past couple of weeks and more rain is forecast. In addition to bleaching, sprouting and disease, the rain and cool weather is further delaying maturity. When the clouds finally clear, frost might not be far behind. It’s that time of year. The days are getting shorter and we can’t seem to get a sustained period of warm, dry weather. It’s been a difficult growing season and so far the same pattern is holding for harvest. We really need a repeat of last year’s abnormally hot and dry September. Otherwise the Saskatchewan crop is going to have below average quality as well as below normal quantity. I’m Kevin Hursh.
DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.
Tags: agricultural products, agricultural services, bleaching, crop, crop protection, custom application, delaying maturity, disease, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, harvest, lentil, precision agronomics, rain, soil fertility, sprouting, Variable Rate Technology
The phosphate market is going to get very competitive in the next 12 months. There are three new plants coming on stream by the end of 2011.
Kailin’s 600,000st per year DAP plant located in South China will be running by the end of 2010
Ma-aden’s plant in Saudi Arabia that will produce a 3 million st per year of DAP will be on stream by spring of 2011.
OCP-Bunge’s JV Moroccan 720,00st per year DAP/MAP plant is on target to open by the end of 2011
The new production has North American phosphate manufacturers starting to position themselves to defend their turf. I don’t believe that this new production will impact Canadian Phosphate pricing this spring (2011) but I expect to see it impact the 2012 crop year.
Tags: Canadian phosphate pricing, Kailin, Ma-aden, OCP-Bunge, phosphate market, phosphate pricing
Livestock prices are a lot better than a year ago. The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture publishes a Market Trends report that lists current grain and livestock prices versus the price one year earlier. A1 steers in Saskatchewan are currently listed at 90 cents a pound. A year ago, the price was 82 cents. D1 / D2 cows are a lot better at around 59 cents as compared to only 39 cents last year. With the fall calf run approaching, a lot of cow-calf producers will be following the price of feeder calves. The report lists the current price of 500 to 600 pound steer calves at $1.20 a pound, versus $1.09 last year. That’s roughly another $60 per calf. While that’s helpful, prices will have to increase further to provide a decent return. Many livestock analysts and observers believe cattle prices will indeed continue to strengthen. Look at the big turnaround in the hog industry. A year ago, Index 100 market hogs in Saskatchewan were around $95 per hundred kilograms. Now prices are in the $150 to $160 range. That’s the kind of increase cow-calf producers would like to see. I’m Kevin Hursh.
DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.
Tags: ag products, ag services, agricultural products, agricultural services, cattle prices, crop protection, custom application, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, livestock, Market Trends, precision agronomics, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology
A rising tide is supposed to raise all the ships, but some grain prices have increased a lot more than others. Wheat, durum and barley price expectations took a major jump yesterday in the CWB’s newest Pool Return Outlook. Top quality spring wheat is up by nearly $1.50 a bushel. The price expectation for No. 1 CWRS with 13.5 per cent protein is now an average of nearly $6 a bushel net Saskatchewan. The PRO on top quality durum saw an increase of just over a dollar a bushel. No. 1 durum with 13 per cent protein now has a PRO of just over $5 a bushel. Malting barley is up by a dollar a bushel and now sits at $4.13 net Saskatchewan. Cereal prices still pale in comparison to canola, which has been around $10 a bushel and flax which is quoted at around $13. Price quotes approaching 30 cents a pound are now being seen for top quality large green lentils. Crops that you’d have to rate as disappointing include peas, mustard and canaryseed. Yellow pea prices remain under $5.50 a bushel, yellow mustard is only about 24 cents a pound and canaryseed is struggling to hit 20 cents. While some crop prices are in the upper range of historical bids, others are certainly not.
I’m Kevin Hursh.
DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.
Tags: agricultural products, agricultural services, barley, Canaryseed, cereal, crop protection, custom application, CWB, CWRS, durum, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, grain prices, large green lentils, malting barley, Pool Return Outlook, precision agronomics, PRO, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology, wheat, yellow mustard
I spent some time yesterday north of Humboldt looking at the greatly expanded lakes, washed out roads and rushing culverts. Thousands of acres of crop land and pasture have been lost to flooding. Some forty year old houses have water problems in their basements for the first time ever. Rural municipalities are fighting with the federal Department of Fisheries over the unwanted water that’s flooding farm fields.
Coincidentally, I received an email yesterday from a producer in the Humboldt area who says there are many local situations where more than 30 inches of rain has fallen this spring and summer. He says producers are already preparing to tow out combines which are likely to get mired in mud once the harvest begins. Grain carts are expensive, but in high demand because trucks will have difficulty navigating the soft fields. And everyone is looking ahead to the disaster that could be coming next spring. Given even a normal amount of snow over the winter, where is all the water going to go when the soil is already saturated?
I’m Kevin Hursh.
DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.
Tags: agricultural products, agricultural services, crop protection, custom application, Department of Fisheries, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, flooding, precision agronomics, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology
With the growing season drawing to a close, the accumulated precipitation maps tell an amazing tale. Since April 1, there has been a record high amount of precipitation over about 40 per cent of the Saskatchewan grain belt. This record spills over into the east central region of Alberta and some northern parts of the Manitoba grain belt, but the majority of the record high area is in Saskatchewan. According to the maps published by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the entire Saskatchewan grain belt has had above normal growing season precip. In the Prairies as a whole, the only area below normal is the Peace River region of Alberta. In fact, most of the Prairies have exceeded normal growing season precipitation by more than 120 mm, which is nearly five inches. The rainfall totals are incredible. Most parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba have received over 400 mm. That’s over 16 inches. Many areas are over 18 inches and some are over 20. The traditionally dry regions are happy about the recharge of ground and surface water. Areas that often suffer from too much rain are wondering when their sloughs and lakes will ever recede. To view precipitation maps, just Google “Drought Watch” and go to the current maps of the Prairie region. I’m Kevin Hursh.
DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.
Tags: accumulated precipitation, agricultural products, agricultural services, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Alberta, crop protection, custom application, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, grain belt, Manitoba, precision agronomics, rainfall, Saskatchewan, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology
