By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Tuesday October 6, 2020

Oct 6, 2020 | 10:00 AM

MELFORT, Sask. – Great weather this fall across much of the prairies is putting crops in the bin early this year.

Across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, agriculture departments said harvests are well ahead of average and are wrapped up in many locations.

Statistics Canada is predicting yields will be at least average for the most important crops, with wheat forecast to be up about six per cent with much of the grains and oilseeds coming in at top grade.

J.P. Gervais with Farm Credit Canada said prices for both canola and wheat are moving up and are above average.

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Canada’s two main railways had another record-setting quarter for grain shipments.

Canadian National said it moved 7.76 million tonnes of grain in the third quarter and 2.81 million in September alone, both new records for their time periods.

Canadian Pacific reported moving 11 per cent more than its previous third-quarter.

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Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) has selected its new Chief Executive Officer.

Darryl Kay currently holds the role of AFSC’s Chief Financial and Innovation Officer and he replaces Interim CEO Jerry Bouma.

Kay has been with AFSC for roughly 10 years and brings over 20 years of senior leadership experience with him to the role. He has served in several different capacities at AFSC, including interim CEO in 2017.

AFSC provides Alberta farmers with crop insurance, livestock price insurance, farm loans, commercial loans, and farm income disaster assistance.

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After waging war on Canadian dairy, steel and aluminum, Donald Trump’s White House is setting its sights on foreign berry farmers and vegetable growers.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is exploring whether domestic farmers are being hurt by imports of blueberries and raspberries from Canada and Mexico.

The B.C. Blueberry Council said it has retained legal counsel because of the investigation.

Council executive director Anju Gill said she is hopeful the close working relationship between the U.S. and Canadian industries will stave off any protectionist measures.

Senators from Maine have written Lighthizer to ask that certain wild blueberry products from Canada be exempted from any forthcoming tariffs.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF