Canadian Wheat Board elections are being held this fall in the odd-numbered districts. An interesting race is shaping up in District 3, which is southwest Saskatchewan and part of southeast Alberta. Two candidates are throwing their hats into the ring and more will no doubt follow. District 3 has long been represented by Larry Hill of Swift Current, a strong supporter of the CWB’s single desk. Hill has always won by a wide margin, but he has served the maximum number of terms and now the district is wide open. The two candidates who have announced their intentions to run are both single desk supporters, but they differ in their approach. Stewart Wells of Swift Current is a former president of the National Farmers Union. Bright and articulate, Wells hardly ever has anything negative to say about the CWB. He will certainly have a lot of name recognition. The second candidate is Brett Meinert of Shaunavon. Although a supporter of the CWB’s marketing functions, Meinert promises to address the industry and producer frustrations that arise in dealing with the CWB. Meinert has served on the board of South West Terminal and as president of the Inland Terminal Association of Canada. With two high profile single desk supporters in the running, it’ll be interesting to see who comes forward to represent the dual marketing viewpoint. 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, Brett Meinert, Canadian Wheat Board, crop protection, custom application, CWB, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, Inland Terminal Association of Canada, Larry Hill, National Farmers Union, precision agronomics, soil fertility, Stewart Wells, 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
There are major developments in the feed barley market. Drought in Russia and Ukraine and restricted exports from those major feed barley suppliers has meant a significant increase in offshore prices. Suddenly, the export market can compete with what Canadian producers are receiving for feed barley in the domestic market. Our domestic livestock industry is going to have to pay more or else substitute barley with corn or Distillers Dried Grains from the U.S. The Canadian Wheat Board says it has sold over 200,000 tonnes of export feed barley in recent weeks. Producers can enter into three way Guaranteed Delivery Contracts involving the CWB and a grain company. The CWB has a guaranteed in-store price and a delivery period. Producers negotiate the freight and handling with the grain company. The CWB says the most recent contracts have had a guaranteed price of $215 a tonne basis Vancouver. By my arithmetic, that should equate to prices of well over $3 a bushel in Saskatchewan. The CWB says contract prices have been continually increasing as new tenders are awarded. Producers can call the CWB to find out more or call elevator companies to see if they’re participating in any tenders. 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, Canadian Wheat Board, crop protection, custom application, CWB, Distillers Dried Grains, Dynagra, feed barley market, fertilizers, financial solutions, Guaranteed Delivery Contracts, precision agronomics, Russia, soil fertility, Ukraine, Variable Rate Technology
One of the major frustrations for producers at this time of year is crop movement. In many cases, grain that was supposed to be off the farm by the end of July is still taking up bin space. This can apply to CWB grains as well as whole host of other crops. Even when there are contracts to take grain by a certain date, those deadlines are often missed. At their end, buyers can face all sorts of logistical and sales problems, but all too often they seem to over-promise what can be accomplished. Last minute grain movement ends up being another job added to the list of pre-harvest tasks. The crunch comes when harvest is starting before all the promised grain movement has occurred. Having enough bin space isn’t usually a problem early in the harvest season, but undelivered grain might be sitting in specific bins that are earmarked for new crop production. Beyond that, there’s the question of manpower. No one wants to shut down a combine to go clean out bin bottoms. As a result, grain is sometimes consolidated from flat bottom bins into hopper bottom bins at this time of year so that loading trucks will be less labour intensive. It seems that you never have too much bin space and you never have too many hopper bottom bins. 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, crop production, crop protection, custom application, CWB, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, grain, precision agronomics, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology
Wheat futures prices have been soaring higher due to drought in the Former Soviet Union as well as Canada’s excess moisture problems. The rising market gained momentum yesterday with the announcement by Russia that it’s placing a temporary ban on wheat exports. Wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trade closed yesterday at $8.29 a bushel. Back in June, the price was only about $4.50. Market analysts say the world stocks to use ratio for wheat isn’t really that short, certainly not as short as a couple years ago, but wheat is zooming higher anyway. Futures have now reached a 23-month high. No one can predict with any certainty where wheat prices will go in the weeks and months ahead. Maybe they’ll go higher. Maybe they’ll drop back. The Canadian Wheat Board is alerting producers that there are pricing options available to lock in some of the current rally. If the rally is short-lived, it won’t be reflected in the annual pooled price. Right now, with a Fixed Price Contract, producers can lock in a wheat price that’s about $1.50 a bushel higher than the current Pool Return Outlook. The CWB has reps available to explain the various pricing options. 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, Canadian Wheat Board, Chicago Board of Trade, crop protection, custom application, CWB, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, Fixed Price Contract, Former Soviet Union, Pool Return Outlook, precision agronomics, Russia, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology, wheat prices
The difficult growing season in Western Canada has moved many of the grain markets, but wheat, durum and barley prices remain stubbornly depressed. In the latest Pool Return Outlook from the Canadian Wheat Board, new crop wheat with good protein is up a little bit, but durum and barley are unchanged from last month. The CWB points out that the previous two marketing years saw the largest and second largest global production of wheat on record. The 2010-11 marketing year is virtually certain to be the third largest production of all time. Canada is a huge player on the world durum market, but despite our big drop in durum acres, the overall supply of durum is expected to be adequate for the year ahead. Although world stocks are tightening due to our production drop, global values are constrained by an abundance of durum in Europe, along with the depreciation of the euro. It is also EU stocks that are overhanging the designated barley market. So while canola, lentils, canaryseed, oats and even field peas have strengthened in price in recent weeks, there isn’t much good news in the Pool Return Outlook. 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, Canadian Wheat Board, Canaryseed, Canola, crop protection, custom application, CWB, durum, Dynagra, fertilizers, field peas, financial solutions, grain markets, lentils, oats, Pool Return Outlook, precision agronomics, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology, wheat
Saskatchewan Liberal MP Ralph Goodale is trying to get legislation passed that would give farmers more control over the Canadian Wheat Board. Goodale was the Minister Responsible for the CWB for many years and he brought in sweeping changes that were meant to make farmers the masters of the CWB’s destiny. However, recent court decisions have determined that previous legislation didn’t go quite far enough. When push comes to shove, the federal government can still call the shots on many aspects of CWB operations. Farmers are badly divided on the issue of the single desk monopoly, but a strong majority agrees that the CWB should be an organization controlled by farmers and not government. It should be farmers charting the course of their marketing agency, whether that means a continuation of the status quo or an opening up of the marketplace. Goodale is on the right track. It’s just too bad he didn’t get it right in the first place. Of course, the odds of him getting major changes while in opposition would seem remote at best. 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 Wheat Board, crop protection, custom application, CWB, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, MP Ralph Goodale, precision agronomics, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology
The federal government has introduced an act to change the voters list for Canadian Wheat Board elections. The Grain Growers of Canada, representing a broad cross-section of grain groups, is applauding the proposed changes. Groups such as the National Farmers Union and Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board are calling it another attack on the CWB. There have been no shortage of attacks by the feds and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, but these proposed changes are reasonable. The legislation would give voting rights to those who produce 40 tonnes of grain and those who are entitled to 40 tonnes under a crop-share arrangement. Forty tonnes is only about 1,500 bushels. If you have less than that, you shouldn’t get a vote. Other grains besides wheat, durum and barley are named under the Canadian Wheat Board Act, so a farmer could be producing 40 tonnes of canola and still get a vote. The critics are all over this saying that if you haven’t been delivering to the board you shouldn’t be voting in board elections. Having the CWB affects all aspects of the grain business, so every significant grain producer should get a vote. However, the proposed changes may not pass in time for the next CWB election anyway unless there’s some cooperation in the House of Commons. 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 Wheat Board, Canadian Wheat Board Act, crop protection, custom application, CWB, Dynagra, federal government, fertilizers, financial solutions, Grain Growers of Canada, House of Commons, National Farmers Union and Friends Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board, precision agronomics, soil fertility, Variable Rate Technology
Which crop will return to $7 a bushel first – durum or peas? A neighboring farmer posed that question as we shot the breeze at the local farm input dealership over the weekend. It’s an interesting way to look at the difficulties facing these two major crops. Both durum and yellow peas have shown they can go to $7 and beyond, but both are now sitting at disappointing price levels. Sales of peas to India have been slow and lots of producers are refusing to sell at prices stuck below $5. On durum, there’s little choice but to hold inventory. In the Series A contract, the |CWB accepted only 40 per cent of the durum offered. The Series B acceptance level was recently announced at just 20 per cent. Durum prices, which are ugly this crop year, are projected to go even lower in the new crop year. For many producers in the southern grain belt, durum and peas have been their two main crops. While everyone knows that Canadian durum acreage is going to drop dramatically this spring, analysts have not been predicting a big drop in pea acreage. Pea acreage may be maintained in the non-lentil growing regions, but where lentils are a viable option, there will, in my opinion, be a big shift into lentils. Going back to the original question, my guess is that peas will see $7 before durum, but I have no idea when that may be. I’m Kevin Hursh.
Tags: CWB, durum, Indian peas, peas, Series A contracts, Series B
Of all the crops grown in the province, the one with perhaps the worst market outlook is durum. The one bit of good news is that the European Union has removed a tariff that was slapped on Canadian durum for the past month. Beyond this victory, the Canadian Wheat Board is admitting that durum is a troubled market. Here in Western Canada, durum production is up a million tonnes from initial expectations. The American crop is up 30 per cent from last year. At three million tonnes, it’s the largest U.S. crop in more than a decade. North Africa is the largest importer of Canadian durum, but their production has increased by 70 per cent as compared to last year. They won’t need to import as much. The Pool Return Outlook for No. 1 durum with 13 per cent protein is a dismal $4.40 a bushel after deducting average Saskatchewan freight and handling. Durum usually sells for a premium over spring wheat, but this year it’s likely to sell at a discount. And although the CWB has not released any official estimates, there will probably be another sizable carryover at the end of the crop year that producers will have to store. Durum is looking like a real dog. I’m Kevin Hursh.
Tags: CWB, Duram, Grain Market
