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CN orders 1,000 grain cars

CN orders 1,000 grain cars

National Steel Car will provide the cars over the next two years

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Canadian National Railway (CN) has placed a substantial order to replace aging equipment and keep up with increasing grain yields.

The railway will have 1,000 new grain cars on its tracks in the next two years. National Steel Car in Hamilton, Ont., will manufacture the cars.

CN will spend about $100 million for the total order, a source told The Globe and Mail on May 24.

Each car will have a capacity of 5,431 cubic feet, so it can hold about 4,364 bushels of grain.

The new cars will replace some cars in CN’s fleet which are over 30 years old. They’ll also help address some of the backlog challenges producers recently faced.

“This substantial investment in higher capacity payload hopper cars, with up to 10 per cent more capacity than the older generation, demonstrates our commitment to safely, efficiently and reliably moving the steadily increasing Prairie grain crop for our customers,” JJ Ruest, interim president & CEO of CN, said in a May 24 statement.

The grain car order is also an example of the benefits to the recently passed Transportation Modernization Act.

The Maximum Revenue Entitlement (MRE) lets railways set rates for moving grain, but limits their total revenue. The new rules allow capital spending to be part of the MRE, so railways can collect more revenue to cover costs of investments like hopper cars.

“This decision will help grow the agricultural sector by ensuring farmers are able to reliably get their products to market,” Lawrence MacAulay, federal minister of agriculture and agri-food, said in the May 24 statement.

The 1,000-car order will create 550 jobs at the National Steel Car facility in Hamilton.


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The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

Video: The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

In the vast prairies of Alberta, Olds College’s Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) stands as a beacon of innovation and research in the agricultural world. The institution has become a key player in advancing agricultural technologies and practices. The FCDC’s commitment to applied research has driven them to seek effective means of disseminating their findings and creating a positive impact on the farming community.

One such avenue that aligns with their mission is AgSmart, an event dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge agricultural technologies. The coming together of the FCDC’s annual Field Day and Ag Smart has proved to be a natural fit, fostering a synergy that benefits both parties and propels the agriculture industry forward. The FCDC Field Day took part in conjunction with AgSmart for the first time this week on Aug. 1-2 in Olds, Alta. FCDC Program Director Kofi Agblor and Olds College VP of Development Todd Ormann sat down for an interview with Marc Zienkiewicz to discuss the significance of the two events taking part together and what the future holds.

The Intersection of Research and Technology The essence of the FCDC lies in its dedication to plant breeding and new seed varieties, particularly barley and triticale. While conducting research is essential, it becomes meaningful when its benefits are shared with the wider community. This is where AgSmart steps in, providing a key venue for the FCDC to showcase their research. This union between research and technology creates a holistic and enriching experience for farmers, ranchers, and industry professionals, the pair said.

Seeds as Technology For the FCDC, the partnership with AgSmart goes beyond mere event collaboration. It is about creating an environment that bridges the gap between seeds and smart technology, Ormann said. The college believes that for technology to truly revolutionize agriculture, it must begin with a strong foundation — high-quality seeds. As the saying goes, “it all starts with a seed.” To demonstrate this critical aspect, the collaboration aims to showcase the seed value chain as an integral part of the smartphone.

The Birth of a Powerful Alliance The idea of joining forces emerged when staff realized the potential synergy between AgSmart and the FCDC Field Day. With just a few days separating the two events, a proposal was put forward to merge them. The marketing and communications teams from both sides worked seamlessly to ensure the essence of both events remained intact, creating a powerful alliance that leverages the strengths of each, Agblor said.

Driving Advancements in Breeding For Agblor, the partnership with AgSmart has tremendous potential to drive advancements in breeding and other technology. With technologies like drones and imaging becoming integral to phenotyping, breeding is no longer confined to vast fields to assess thousands of plants manually. Instead, it benefits from the data-rich insights brought about by smart technologies. These advancements make breeding more efficient, precise, and instrumental in shaping the future of agriculture.

Overcoming Challenges Together While the partnership between Olds College and Ag Smart has been a resounding success, there are challenges on the horizon. Securing stable funding for long-term breeding initiatives is crucial to sustain progress. The college is committed to navigating these challenges and investing in agriculture’s future sustainably, Agblor said.

 

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