Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Peter Gredig's Blog – August 2009 Archive (3)

Do you want biotech wheat?

Do you want biotech wheat?



Two weeks ago I wrote about my hopes for the next phase of biotech traits for agriculture. Since then, grower and processor organizations representing Canada, U.S. and Australia have come forward to indicate they are actively advocating for genetically modified wheat.



Earlier efforts to bring GM wheat with herbicide tolerance to the marketplace failed miserably. Importing nations, end users and consumers put a quick stop to this initiative a few… Continue

Added by Peter Gredig on August 22, 2009 at 1:15pm — No Comments

Interest Rates - Where From Here?

Interest rates – where from here?



Nothing sharpens management skills like a mortgage. For most producers, debt is an inescapable part of the business. In fact, it’s possible that knowing how to manage and optimize debt may be at least as important as agronomy and productivity considerations.



For agriculture, the silver lining to a global recession in outside markets is historically low interest rates. The temptation to take advantage of cheap money is very strong. For crop… Continue

Added by Peter Gredig on August 22, 2009 at 1:14pm — No Comments

Mid-Season Corn/Soy Review

Mid-Season Review



For corn and soybean growers, the calendar says we are well past the mid-season mark, but in many parts of corn/soy country, the crops didn’t get the memo.



With late planting and cool weather from spring through the end of July, it’s a race to the finish line for many corn and soybean fields. The “F” word – frost – is starting to pop up in farmer conversations and with market analysts trying to get a handle on whether we are headed for bumper crops and… Continue

Added by Peter Gredig on August 19, 2009 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

$15.1M to Scale Whole-Cut Plant-Based Protein

A $15.1 million investment led by Protein Industries Canada will scale a breakthrough manufacturing platform for whole-cut protein alternatives, strengthening Canada’s food system and creating new value for Canadian-grown crops.

Syngenta Canada names Matt Legg as head of professional solutions

Syngenta Professional Solutions North America and Syngenta Canada have named Matt Legg as head of Syngenta Professional Solutions (SPS), Canada, effective June 1, 2026. In his new role, Legg will lead the Canadian SPS business and be responsible for driving strategy, customer success, and portfolio growth across the Canadian market. "Matt is a customer-focused, solutions-oriented leader with deep technical expertise and a genuine passion for the professional solutions industry," says Dave Ravel, Head, Professional Solutions, North America. "His ability to connect technical knowledge, market insight, and commercial priorities has consistently delivered meaningful value for our customers. Matt's strong industry background and proven leadership make him exceptionally well positioned to guide our Canadian SPS business into its next chapter." Legg brings more than 25 years of experience in the turf industry, including five years of dedicated SPS experience with Syngenta, to this leadershi

Ag Canada Bumps New-Crop Canola Ending Stocks Estimate Higher

Agriculture Canada has raised its 2026-27 canola ending stocks forecast from last month, although the outlook is still tight overall. In updated monthly supply-demand estimates released late Thursday afternoon, new-crop canola ending stocks were pegged at 1.319 million tonnes, up from the April estimate of 1.064 million but still well below the slightly downwardly revised 2025-26 ending stocks of 2.72 million. Even with this month’s increase, projected 2026-27 canola ending stocks would still be the lowest in 10 years, Ag Canada said. The higher new-crop canola ending stocks estimate is due to a 300,000-tonne reduction in this month’s export forecast, which falls to 7.5 million tonnes. The 2026-27 canola crush forecast of 13 million tonnes was left unchanged from April but remains a new record high. In its accompanying commentary, Ag Canada did note that seeding of the 2026 canola crop is off to a slow start in some parts of Western Canada due to cold and wet conditions, but i

Seeding progress made, despite mixed precipitation

Seeding is muddling along as 29 per cent of the provincial crop has been planted so far, according to the latest crop report from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. While it's up from 16 per cent last week, it's really behind the five year average of 55 per cent and the ten year average of 52 per cent. Crop Extension Specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture Davidson Ugheoke says farmers in the south made the bulk of progress with the southwest at 55 per cent complete and the southeast at 41 per cent complete. The west-central region is at 30 per cent, the northwest 16 per cent, the east-central at 11 per cent and the northeast is still lagging behind at just three per cent complete. "A couple of my colleagues drove around the province, (and) you could see some action in some places, so by this time next week, I think we should have significant numbers up." said Ugheoke. A weather system last week brought strong winds and mixed precipitation through the province, with som

U.S. flour consumption continues long slump

Flour consumption continues its decades-long slide in the United States, according to a new report. Per capita wheat flour consumption fell to 126.6 pounds in 2025, continuing a trend that started around the turn of the century, according to the Wheat Sector at a Glance report produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. That is well below the 146.4 lb. of wheat flour consumed per person in 2000. That is not great news for Canadian farmers. The U.S. was Canada’s fourth largest wheat market from 2021-25 , accounting for an average of seven per cent of sales. Jane DeMarchi, president of the North American Miller’s Association, said there are several reasons why consumption has tumbled. It began with the widespread adoption of low-carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkin’s Diet. The rise of the gluten-free movement exacerbated the problem. There was a brief reprieve from the downward trend during COVID-19, when people started eating comfort food at home

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