Archive for 2021

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US — Grain industry professionals last week said movement on US railroads was mostly on track except for the lingering issue of late car placements at origins. Those complaints had been steady for most of the year and were more common in western US regions than in the east.

Some Class 1 railroad customers desperate to ship contracted grain via rail cars ordered earlier were writing to railroad leadership seeking a reprieve from late-arriving equipment that in some ...

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA — Canadian farmers intend to plant more canola but less wheat and oats for harvest in 2021 than expected by the trade, according to data released April 27 by Statistics Canada in its Principal Field Crop Areas report.

Statistics Canada, based on a survey of producers conducted during March, indicated Canadian farmers intend to plant 23.26 million acres to wheat for harvest this year, an area that would be 7% smaller than the 24.98 million acres seeded in ...

DUBLIN, IRELAND — The Republic of Ireland, although a major food and drink exporter, relies on the United Kingdom for much of its supply of flour. However, the UK’s exit from the European Union means flour has suddenly become much more expensive, leading Irish politicians to ask whether the country should be doing more of its own grain processing.

Flour produced in the UK from UK wheat can be imported into Ireland under the deal agreed by London with the EU, ...

LONDON, ENGLAND — After a 40-year low in wheat production, the United Kingdom (UK) is projected to sharply increase its wheat output in the 2021-22 marketing year to 14.75 million tonnes, up 5 million tonnes from the previous year, according to an April 21 Global Agricultural Information Network report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“The total wheat area is forecast to increase nearly 400,000 hectares in 2021-22,” the USDA said. “Fall planting conditions were much improved on those for ...

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US — Sustainability continues to grow in importance to the farming and milling industries amid an evolving regulatory landscape and new policy energy under a new administration in Washington.

Of vital importance to growers and millers is how they can get paid for sustainable practices and best utilize tools such as carbon markets. To address the topic for attendees of their virtual spring conference, the North American Millers’ Association enlisted Debbie Reed, executive director of the Ecosystem Services ...

Looking back over the past five decades, there’s been a fairly steady descent into our current climate crisis as ballooning populations and hungry economies have relied heavily on burning fossil fuels for power.

Thinking about climate change can be overwhelming. But for those of you who fear it’s too late to change the planet’s fortunes, take heart. Because some experts think humanity can still turn things around for Mother Earth.

Some find cause for optimism in expanding energy efficiency, electrification or geoengineering. ...

DODOMA, TANZANIA — Tanzania’s wheat production is expected to decrease 22% in the 2021-22 marketing year due to high post-harvest loss, below-average rainfall and a desert locust invasion, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Production is estimated at 70,000 tonnes and the harvested area is expected to drop 22%.

The government is trying to increase domestic wheat production with market mechanisms. Millers, traders and processors have been asked to source 60% of ...