WCWG chair concerned about December grain movement

Dec 21, 2017

The chair of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers is worried about grain movement this month.

Jim Wickett said rail resources are being pushed this fall after a relatively good-sized crop and rising demand for rail services.

“I’m guessing this is going to be a top five crop for the prairies, and with that goes a lot of tonnage, so whether there’s a little lack of planning or a little bit more of an economic uptake, whichever I know the rail sources are being pushed right now,” Wickett said.

The Ag Transportation Coalition reports that in shipping week 19, CN only met 56 percent of hopper car orders, compared to CP’s 87 percent.

Wickett is disappointed the federal grain transportation legislation will not pass the senate before the Christmas break.

The legislation is designed to make the railways more accountable to grain shippers.

Source : CKRM

Video: Residue Management

Residue Management conservation practice manages the amount, orientation, and distribution of crop and other plant residue on the soil surface year-round while limiting soil-disturbing activities used to grow and harvest crops in systems where the field surface is tilled prior to planting. This video explores how Ryan McKenzie implemented this conservation practice on his farm in Samson, Alabama.

Practice benefits:

• Increases organic matter

• Improves air quality

• Decreases energy costs

• Reduces erosion

• Improves soil health

The Conservation at Work video series was created to increase producer awareness of common conservation practices and was filmed at various locations throughout the country. Because conservation plans are specific to the unique resource needs on each farm and also soil type, weather conditions, etc., these videos were designed to serve as a general guide to the benefits of soil and water conservation and landowners should contact their local USDA office for individual consultation.