Grain traders are questioning whether the USDA played an early April Fool's Day joke with its corn acreage projection in the department's March 31st acreage estimates. The Prospective Plantings Report included a projection of 93.6 million acres of corn in 2016, well beyond the trade's average expectation of just under 90 million. The soybean acreage... Read More

Canterra Seeds and the University of Saskatchewan's Crop Development Centre have finalized their arrangement for the distribution of CDC-developed pea varieties in the U.S. After winning the rights in an open-bid competition last year, Canterra — with its U.S. affiliate Meridian Seeds — and the CDC have been determining which varieties to include in the... Read More

Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay was in Montreal on Wednesday to announce $27 million to extend the Agricultural Greenhouse Gases Program for another five years. The research program is aimed at helping farmers find ways to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, with funding now extended until 2021. The AGGP was first launched in 2010 as part... Read More

Providence Grain Group and Lansing Trade Group have announced they're consolidating their western Canadian grain businesses under the Providence Grain Solutions name. Lansing is also investing in Providence and will own approximately 38 percent of the company, which will keep its headquarters in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. "Providence is honoured to welcome Lansing’s Western Canada employees... Read More

They've built it, now it’s time to come. With the 2016 Canadian Dairy XPO just two weeks away, show organizers are getting ready to unveil the new WeCover Cow Coliseum and pedestrian bridge that will connect the building to the Stratford Rotary Complex. The steel bridge will carry the more than 15,000 visitors expected to... Read More

The federal government is finding ways to spend $19 billion more than promised during the election campaign last fall. Some of that money will be spent in agriculture-related areas. Finance Minister Bill Morneau's first budget, unveiled Tuesday, projects a $29.4 billion deficit in 2016-17 — well beyond the $10 billion deficit outlined by the Liberals... Read More

Crop input distributor Univar has acquired Saskatoon-based fertilizer wholesaler Nexus Ag. Founded in 1997, Nexus operates six regional warehouses, selling micronutrients, specialty fertilizers, potash, phosphates, and liquid and soluble nutrients, including products under its own brands YieldMax and Nexus. "As a recognized leader in the fertilizer business in Western Canada, the addition of Nexus Ag... Read More

Evidence is adding up to show Western Canada really did grow a big canola crop last year, despite the drought. A combination of ample supplies, expanded crush capacity and the lower Canadian dollar are driving a rapid pace in canola consumption this year, both domestically and through exports. Canadian canola crush is up 12 percent... Read More

Ontario Farmers are turning out in force to participate in the Great Lakes Agricultural Stewardship Initiative (GLASI). “We’ve had incredible response to GLASI in the targeted areas,” says Margaret May, regional program lead with Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, which administers the program. Interest and attendance at program meetings has been strong, she adds.... Read More