Colza.... AKA Canola

[Klause]

This is something we need to watch... Canola was "our" crop...

well... not anymore.

http://geadecolon.com.ar/informe-sobre-el-cultivo-de-colza-2/

and

Acres have been doubling in Entre Rios and Buenos Aires every year... since 2008 they went from 8000 HA to just under 100,000 Ha. Weed control and a high value (460 - 500 USD) price is pushing more and more canola into their winter rotations with INTA pushing it hard.

Yield wise they went from less than 20 to over 40 bpa average in a very short time... High nutrition and worked fields combined with an extremely long (plant in fall not winter) season and cool (16-22C) flowering temperatures means the plants thrive...


Not a real export threat yet... but considering the amount of money China is investing in Argentina, their agriculture, and their freight and shipping networks... This could become a problem for us...

[bucket]

Any country that invests in infrastructure will kick our ass....70 mmt crop with a handling infrastructure barely able to move 35mmt....it's stupid....can't continue to build bins on farm ....the storage should be at a moveable position.....


I said this a while back ....an inland terminal in BC that would be able to shuttle during cold or mountain weather between BC and the prairies...let's start with a 5 million tonne facilty

[Klause]

Any country that invests in infrastructure will kick our ass....70 mmt crop with a handling infrastructure barely able to move 35mmt....it's stupid....can't continue to build bins on farm ....the storage should be at a moveable position.....


I said this a while back ....an inland terminal in BC that would be able to shuttle during cold or mountain weather between BC and the prairies...let's start with a 5 million tonne facilty

We'll need some sort of infrastructure vision...


This is what we are competing with... Rob Saik knows...

[bucket]

We should be trucking to the west coast by the end of the decade....then we can say we caught up to Argentina. ...absolutely senseless....but what do we hear ....crickets! !!!!?????

[sk_wheatking]

Why don't we all just ****ing pack it in already.you read so much about how we can't compete you start to believe it.

[bucket]

Crosses my mind everyday.....

I watched g3 build their new plant and the other majors wouldn't even update their facilties at unload....


They all say they are doing better ....well of course they are.... they each lost a turn on their elevators. ....

And things have backed up from the coast to the prairies....on purpose....

[furrowtickler]

I have a sick feeling , and believe 90% of us are fuked going forward if we continue to try the world export game in commodity grains . Carbon tax is coming regardless what we believe or hear . That can and will eat up to 50% of our net profits . Our cost and inefficiency of transportation to markets is making us obsolete, just re read what Dave said a few posts ago , all those transportation costs will only keep going up. When the simple transportation costs are higher than the pit prices ... it’s game over . Big farming inputs are on a one way ticket to the moon . Check grain/ oilseed / pulse prices to historic values and relate that to inflation... it’s a dead end . Even the biggest most efficient farms will eventually stumble if things continue as they are here in Canada .
Add that to skyrocketing land prices .... I see a crash again on most farms if we continue to go status quo regardless of farm size . Even for the most conservative basic family farm , run the numbers , then add on the environmental cost that’s about to be passed on to the lowest guy on the totem pole ... it’s you and I .
Everyone in Ag is milking the cow too much , it’s going to be dry ... soon .
I live and breathe Ag , but see a suffocating situation ahead.
Too many hands in too shallow of pockets, too far from commercial markets.
Without a strong bio fuels mandate and far more in depth local processing environment, even to an on farm basis, there is little if any hope for commercial grain farms looking forward 5-10 years.
Klause knows this and is trying in the right direction. We are looking way outside the box as well .
The stays quo is not going to be sustainable... at all, for any farm , not if the current direction in western Canadian Ag continues.... it’s impossible as primary producers regardless of size . Simply do the math , and look at additional costs coming that will strip your bottom line even more.
I hope I am wrong .

[farmaholic]

Stopped in at a local terminal the other day. I got talking to the manager and asked if there's any plans for expansion. Yup. A loop track 130+ unit train loading upgrade and an increase in storage capacity...was told how much of an increase but forgot, and a leg(or two?)upgrade. I believe this facility was one of SWP's "Project Horizon's" poster child...on CP mainline. A sure bet for service... (enter bucket)


Seems there's been a fair bit of Inland terminal expansion in this area. Mostly in storage. All after the end of the monopoly.

Now rail service and infrastructure. ....

And west coast loading in the rain. Couldn't something be done?


Talk of rail service disrupted by mud slides(can anyone.confirm). I can see grain taking a back seat to some other freight until the RRs catch up. I guess the "grain business" isn't going anywhere....literally.

[furrowtickler]

Bucket has been preaching the insufficient / expensive rail transportation system for years on Agriville .... and he is right , always has been.
We are getting hypnotized to grow more and more and now have to try to stuff an elephant dick through a key hole , and the key hole is getting smaller and more expensive to fix with a government, regardless of stripe unwilling to address it while the rest of the world is blowing past us .

[farmaholic]

Furrow....someone mentioned that Primary Ag Production will be exempt. Well that's only a part of the increased (carbon)tax costs....everyone supplying goods and services will do exactly what they've been doing forever....pass their increased costs "DOWN". And I don't have that luxury.

Some how I think Ag will survive.

ps...I have no canola seed booked and a portion of my fert unsecured. I hate "seasonal price increase deadlines". Maybe if evryone quit playing "their" game.....! I'm incorporated and don't need the write-off AND the money is here to buy it. My accountant said their has to be an economic benefit to me to spend money 7-8 months in advance for a product I need that far out....and then can use up to sixty days to pay for it depending on the timing of pick up at the time of year I need it. That's up to ten months! Aren't you sick of bank rolling the crop input Industry?

[farming101]

some things that need to be done to thrive

Pull wrenches
buy haywire
order jobber parts online
dust off welder
buy machinery at auctions and take your chances
Learn about electronics online during the winter
Don't go hog wild on fertilizer and chemicals
Build relationships with processors and value added industries
Have sufficient grain storage. I know Bucket will hate that one
Buy grain drier
Take care of equipment
Take care seeding and harvesting. It pays
Don't hit the bottle and quit smoking
Just some of the things that at one time or another have made a big difference to the bottom line or saved our bacon. Learned from experience and observation

Others can add
feel free to yell if I'm off base

[farmaholic]

101.1

My only complaint would be why primary producers are the only link in the chain that is expected to tighten their belt or trim the fat and get lean. Do people realize the amount of parasitism we endure? God there's alot of people not earning their keep in this Industry. Every ****in supplier of goods and services could afford to do what is expected of us! They might lift their boot off your throat just before you take your last breath.....because they "need" you!

Hope you're not drowning in those negative waves.

[samhill]

Why is there no grower groups pushing for rail lines to Churchill? A very close seaport. I wonder if the lack of government support is pressure from line companies and others with a vested interest in east/west transport. There is a problem with facilities at the port, but that could be remedied.
A seaport must surely be a valuable asset.

[wmoebis]

I wonder if there is stats on number of loading days/hrs ports are shut down due to rain? Including all ports Rupert, Churchill, Vancouver and along St Lawrence.

[farming101]

I wonder if there is stats on number of loading days/hrs ports are shut down due to rain? Including all ports Rupert, Churchill, Vancouver and along St Lawrence.

You can bet there are. Graincos use that to figure out where the basis should be at your local elevator

Out of railcars for unloading stats have been going up every week for the last 4 weeks into the north shore at Vancouver. Bad for Pioneer and Cargill. South shore was at 20% 3 weeks ago.
Week 16 down to about 2% for south shore
Prince Rupert seeing improvement lately
T Bay better lately.
Info in Grain Monitor weekly report
[URL="http://quorumcorp.net/Downloads/WeeklyReports/GMPGOCWeek201716.pdf"]http://quorumcorp.net/Downloads/WeeklyReports/GMPGOCWeek201716.pdf[/URL]