@carolhusband

[gustgd]

Could you hot link?
Are the comments on testing true?thanks

http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/bitter harvest/4592957/story.html

[gustgd]

Progress with cellulosic ethanol
Posted in Uncategorized by Kevin Hursh
Apr 12 2011 It seems like cellulosic ethanol has been five years away for the last 15 years. Now, we’re starting to see the establishment of more facilities that will produce ethanol from wheat straw, corn stalks, and other sources of biomass. Novozymes in partnership with Mossi and Ghisolfi Group is building the world’s largest cellulosic ethanol plant in northwestern Italy. The plant is scheduled to start production in 2012. At 50 million litres per year, the plant will not be very big as compared to many of the facilities that make ethanol from corn and wheat. However, the companies involved say the plant will be 10 times larger than the largest cellulosic demonstration facilities in operations today. Novozymes if the world’s largest producer of industrial enzymes and it will supply the enzymes for turning cellulose into sugar which will then be fermented into ethanol. The companies are heralding this as the dawn of a new green era. The plant is designed to use a number of feedstocks. Here in Saskatchewan, there has been a promise for many years from Ottawa-based Iogen about a cellulosic plant in Birch Hills or Prince Albert. It has never happened. Perhaps cellulosic ethanol is finally ready to move beyond a few small demonstration facilities, but the development to date has been disappointing. I’m Kevin Hursh.


Good news and bad in beef industry
Posted in Uncategorized by Kevin Hursh
Apr 11 2011 There are some very positive aspects to the beef industry these days, but there are negatives as well. The good news is profitable prices. Feed grain prices in Western Canada are low as compared to American corn and that has helped feeder cattle values on this side of the border. However, the high value of the Canadian dollar has not been helpful. American feeder cattle prices are at record highs. Our record high was set back in 2001 when the value of the Canadian dollar was only 64 cents. Cull cow prices are amazingly good, with D1 and D2 cows approaching an average of 80 cents a pound. The downside is that we continue to loose processing capacity. XL Foods has announced that the operations of XL Beef and XL Meats in Calgary will be suspended due to the low supply of cows and “challenging competitive conditions in the Canadian marketplace.” Reports indicate that about 500 employees will be affected. XL says the processing plants may reopen in the fall when mature cow numbers are historically more plentiful. They used to say that about Moose Jaw too. The big beef facility at Brooks that XL bought from Tyson continues to operate, but labour contract talks are reportedly stalled so there could be trouble there as well. I’m Kevin Hursh.


Trouble with lentils exports to Europe
Posted in Uncategorized by Kevin Hursh
Apr 10 2011 A big trade issue has surfaced involving the European Union, lentils and glyphosate residue. A shipment of organic lentils from Turkey has exceeded the EU’s tolerance for glyphosate residue. This issue is now limiting lentil trade between North American and Europe. Glyphosate is registered for pre-harvest use on lentils, but Europe has the ridiculously low tolerance of 0.1 parts per million for glyphosate residue on lentils, whether conventional or organic. Why there would be any glyphosate on organic lentils is another question, but O.1 ppm is a very low level. By comparison, Europe’s Maximum Residue Limit for peas is 100 times higher at 10 ppm. They allow 50 ppm of glyphosate on mushrooms. Here in North America, the MRL for glyphosate on lentils is 5 ppm in the U.S. and 4 ppm in Canada. That’s 50 and 40 times what is allowed in Europe. Many Canadian lentil crops never see a glyphosate application, but any that do are unlikely to pass the 0.1 MRL. The Canadian and American lentils industries are working together to address the trade challenge. Pulse Canada and the U.S. Dry Pea and Lentil Council will hold meetings across Europe this week to discuss the issue with European buyers. They’re also submitting data to EU authorities to request a new import tolerance. North American lentil trade to Europe exceeded $110 million in value last year. I’m Kevin Hursh.

[gustgd]

sorry was just supposed to be the last article on organic lentils

[dave4441]

They were "turkish" organic green lentils that were shipped into Europe and put lentils under the microscope. Turkish grows very few green lentils, let alone "organic" lentils so you do the math. They do buy lots from Canada though, conventionally grown type.

[parsley]

Sorry gusty, I have been so busy tweeting and doing other things. Gone all day. Don't know anything about this. Sorry.