"Wet Spring Predicted — Despite all the worry about El Nino, the biggest weather-related issues for US agriculture may come next year, after El Nino ends. World Weather, Inc. senior ag meteorologist Drew Lerner sees possible winter flooding in California advancing into a wet spring in US crop areas and then possibly a dry, hot summer. Quite often, Lerner says the more powerful El Nino events are followed by significant La Nina events and for the US such a potential often brings a shortage of moisture and in some cases, drought. Some sample years in which strong El Nino events were followed by significant La Nina events include: 1997-98; 1982-83; 1987-88; and 1972-73.
Grand Sky UAS Park Highlighted — The first commercial unmanned aerial systems business park in the United States is under development in Grand Forks. The Grand Sky UAS Park was celebrated Thursday with political leaders joining with military officials for the event. The park is located on the Grand Forks Air Force Base and will be devoted to UAS research, development, testing, training and operations.
Glencore May Sell Ag Unit — Glencore PLC is reportedly examining the possibility of selling down its agricultural unit as part of a plan to reduce its $30 billion debt by $10 billion. Glencore Chief Financial Officer Steven Kalmin told Bloomberg News that the move could entail taking on investors in its agricultural infrastructure assets, including its ports, or the sale of a minority stake in the entire agricultural unit. The news comes just months after Glencore said it was seeking to expand its agricultural unit after its $4.6 billion purchase of Viterra Inc. in 2012.
Cage-Free Eggs for Your Egg McMuffin — McDonald’s says it will switch to cage-free eggs in the US and Canada over the next decade. Under pressure to revive slumping sales, McDonald’s has already announced a number of changes since CEO Steve Easterbrook took over earlier this year. McDonald’s says it already buys about 13 million cage-free eggs a year in the US, but it’s still less than one percent of the two billion eggs it uses.
From Red River Farm Network. Red River Farm Network programs are archived on www.rrfn.com. Tune into these RRFN affiliates for the latest in farm news and markets.
The Ag Transport Coalition Grain Week 4 railway performance measurement report is attached. The report covers 90% of grain movement originating in Western Canada.
The weekly report details railway performance for the current grain year across a range of key indicators including rail car demand, railway car supply, timeliness of railway car supply in response to weekly customer orders, unfulfilled shipper demand, corridor performance, railway dwell times at origin and railway dwell times at destination.
Key figures from Grain Week 4:
CN and CP supplied 6,831 (85%) of the 8,059 hopper cars ordered for delivery in Grain Week 4 resulting in 1,228 hopper car orders remaining outstanding.
CN supplied 89 % of the hopper cars that were ordered for Grain Week 4.
CP supplied 81 % of the hopper cars that were ordered for Grain Week 4.
Boxcar shippers received 20% of orders.
CN supplied 83% of orders in non-bulk corridors including the USA/Mexico.
CP supplied 58% of orders in non-bulk corridors including the USA/Mexico
Past weekly reports can be found on the Ag Transport Coalition website: www.agtransportcoalition.com
* The Ag Transportation Coalition is comprised of the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA), the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC), Pulse Canada, the Manitoba Pulse Growers Association (MPGA), The Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA), the Canadian Oilseed Processors Association (COPA), the Inland Terminal Association of Canada (ITAC) and the Canadian Special Crops Association (CSCA).
Grand Sky UAS Park Highlighted — The first commercial unmanned aerial systems business park in the United States is under development in Grand Forks. The Grand Sky UAS Park was celebrated Thursday with political leaders joining with military officials for the event. The park is located on the Grand Forks Air Force Base and will be devoted to UAS research, development, testing, training and operations.
Glencore May Sell Ag Unit — Glencore PLC is reportedly examining the possibility of selling down its agricultural unit as part of a plan to reduce its $30 billion debt by $10 billion. Glencore Chief Financial Officer Steven Kalmin told Bloomberg News that the move could entail taking on investors in its agricultural infrastructure assets, including its ports, or the sale of a minority stake in the entire agricultural unit. The news comes just months after Glencore said it was seeking to expand its agricultural unit after its $4.6 billion purchase of Viterra Inc. in 2012.
Cage-Free Eggs for Your Egg McMuffin — McDonald’s says it will switch to cage-free eggs in the US and Canada over the next decade. Under pressure to revive slumping sales, McDonald’s has already announced a number of changes since CEO Steve Easterbrook took over earlier this year. McDonald’s says it already buys about 13 million cage-free eggs a year in the US, but it’s still less than one percent of the two billion eggs it uses.
From Red River Farm Network. Red River Farm Network programs are archived on www.rrfn.com. Tune into these RRFN affiliates for the latest in farm news and markets.
The Ag Transport Coalition Grain Week 4 railway performance measurement report is attached. The report covers 90% of grain movement originating in Western Canada.
The weekly report details railway performance for the current grain year across a range of key indicators including rail car demand, railway car supply, timeliness of railway car supply in response to weekly customer orders, unfulfilled shipper demand, corridor performance, railway dwell times at origin and railway dwell times at destination.
Key figures from Grain Week 4:
CN and CP supplied 6,831 (85%) of the 8,059 hopper cars ordered for delivery in Grain Week 4 resulting in 1,228 hopper car orders remaining outstanding.
CN supplied 89 % of the hopper cars that were ordered for Grain Week 4.
CP supplied 81 % of the hopper cars that were ordered for Grain Week 4.
Boxcar shippers received 20% of orders.
CN supplied 83% of orders in non-bulk corridors including the USA/Mexico.
CP supplied 58% of orders in non-bulk corridors including the USA/Mexico
Past weekly reports can be found on the Ag Transport Coalition website: www.agtransportcoalition.com
* The Ag Transportation Coalition is comprised of the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA), the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC), Pulse Canada, the Manitoba Pulse Growers Association (MPGA), The Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA), the Canadian Oilseed Processors Association (COPA), the Inland Terminal Association of Canada (ITAC) and the Canadian Special Crops Association (CSCA).
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