THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
VOL. 94 | NO. 36 | $4.25
Field robots: Their time is near Autonomous machines make their debut | P. 30
THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS SERVING WESTERN CANADIAN FARM FAMILIES SINCE 1923
|
WWW.PRODUCER.COM
P. 63
HAMMER TIME
MERGERS
Fertilizer giants in merger talks Trickle down effect seen as slight BY SEAN PRATT SASKATOON NEWSROOM
The potential merger of two fertilizer giants will have no impact on product availability or prices, says an industry analyst. PotashCorp and Agrium announced last week they were holding preliminary discussions about merging the two Canadian companies. Farm groups such as the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan have expressed concern that a merger would lead to less competition in the fertilizer market. Glen Buckley, chief economist with NPK Fertilizer Advisory Service, doesn’t believe that will be the case. “From the standpoint of the Saskatchewan farmer, I don’t see any difference at all. There is no market impact on this at all,� he said. Buckley would have been concerned if PotashCorp and Agrium had a lot of overlapping assets. SEE MERGER TALKS, PAGE 5
David King uses a little elbow grease to straighten a knife on his forage harvester. The repair set King back an hour, and then he returned to cutting a hail-damaged barley field for silage north of Okotoks. Alta., Aug. 30. | MIKE STURK PHOTO
TRADE
News of a breakthrough in a seven-year long canola dispute with China has analysts rethinking export numbers, prices and basis levels for the commodity. Canadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau and Chinese Premier Li Ke q i a n g a n n o u n c e d d u r i n g Trudeau’s visit to China that a permanent solution to the blackleg disease issue is days or weeks away. November futures prices immediately jumped $10 per tonne on Aug. 31 and ended the day up $7 per tonne.
Derek Squair, president of AgriTrend Marketing, quickly bumped up the China export number in his canola supply and demand chart to 4.3 million tonnes from 3.2 million tonnes. He expects basis levels that had widened to $43 under from $15 under a month ago to ease back down.
“I think we’ll narrow right back in there (but) maybe not back to $15 until after Christmas,� said Squair. A long-term deal has yet to be signed but news that one is pending has calmed nerves in the canola trade. SEE CANOLA RESTRICTIONS, PAGE 4
EXPERIENCE
Everything IN AGRICULTURE *=-.'.9478 t 8*59 t 14(&9*) .3 <44)894(0 439&7.4 t <<< 4:9)447+&728-4< (42
Âť
The Western Producer is published in Saskatoon by Western Producer Publications, which is owned by GVIC Communications Corp. Publisher: Shaun Jessome Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240
BY SEAN PRATT
u|xhHEEJBy00001pzYv$:' SEPTEMBER 8, 2016 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Stn. Main, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4
Canola restrictions on hold SASKATOON NEWSROOM
Âť