20140508

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THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

VOL. 92 | NO. 19 | $4.25

Leafy spurge Researchers tinker with leafy spurge control in Saskatchewan. | P. 66

GROWING WITH FARMERS FOR 90 YEARS

DELIVERY IMPROVES | P. 6

WWW.PRODUCER.COM

WOMEN CRACK BUSINESS CEILING | P. 19

WEED OF THE WEEK | P. 67

ROPERS AT THE READY

Louis Dreyfus files complaint against CN

Carryout biggest in Sask.

Few details available about level of service complaint BY BRIAN CROSS SASKATOON NEWSROOM

Victim of location | Rail service legislation amendments hit ‘speed bump’ in Ottawa

Louis Dreyfus has filed a level of service complaint against Canadian National Railway. The complaint, filed April 16 to the Canadian Transportation Agency, implies poor rail service by CN and failure to meet the terms of a service contract negotiated by the railway company and Louis Dreyfus. “I can confirm that … Louis Dreyfus Commodities (LDC) filed a level of service complaint under the Canada Transportation Act … with respect to a confidential contract they have with CN,” said CTA spokesperson Chantal Laflamme. “I can also tell you that LDC has requested that the (CTA) … issue an interim order requiring CN to abide

BY BRIAN CROSS SASKATOON NEWSROOM

Saskatchewan farmers will be sitting on more undelivered grain than their neighbours in Manitoba and Alberta by the end of the 2013-14 crop year. That’s because the majority of grain being shipped east to Thunder Bay or west to Vancouver and Prince Rupert is being shipped from elevator locations in Manitoba and Alberta, says the executive director of the Western Grain Elevators Association. By virtue of their location and distance to port, Saskatchewan elevators can expect fewer grain cars, less reliable rail service and fewer outbound grain shipments than elevators in other prairie provinces, said Wade Sobkowich. “If we have a carryout at the end of the (2013-14 crop) year of approximately 23 million tonnes … Saskatchewan is going to be sitting on most of that carryout,” Sobkowich said. “Not only are the railways picking the corridors where grain is being shipped, but they are also, to a large extent, picking the locations that the trains get spotted at because of (car) turn-around times.” “They’re picking locations in Alberta because of the quicker turnaround times (to the West Coast) … and they’re picking locations in Manitoba because of the turnarounds at Thunder Bay … but in Saskatchewan many locations are still having difficulty getting service.” Poor rail service to Saskatchewan elevators is the latest challenge facing farmers and grain companies attempting to move the largest grain crop in Canadian history. In early March, Ottawa imposed an order in council requiring Canada’s major railway companies, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, to move one million tonnes of grain SEE CARRYOUT, PAGE 2

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GRAIN HANDLING | COMPLAINT

SEE COMPLAINT FILED, PAGE 2

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u|xhHEEJBy00001pzYv,:^ MAY 8, 2014 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4

Jeff Stahl ropes a calf as the Cayley Hutterite colony holds its annual branding April 30 near Cayley, Alta. Most of the colony turned up to help with roping, wrestling, tagging, vaccinating and various other chores. There were 280 calves branded that afternoon. | MIKE STURK PHOTO

The Western Producer is published in Saskatoon by Western Producer Publications, which is owned by GVIC Communications Corp. Publisher: Shaun Jessome Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240

TRANSPORTATION | BACKLOG

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