Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures jumped 3.7 per cent on Friday, more than recovering from the prior day’s 3.1 per cent drop, buoyed by a mix of short-covering and expectations of increased export demand for U.S. supplies, traders and analysts said. Wheat and soybeans followed the firm trend. Chicago Board of Trade March […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn soars on bargain buying

U.S. grains: Corn, soy to one-month lows
Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. corn and soybean futures hit one-month lows on Thursday and wheat futures followed amid doubts about whether China will make the purchases from the United States promised in a trade deal between the two countries, analysts said. Chicago Board of Trade March corn futures tumbled three per cent, settling down […] Read more

Spring weather to determine Prairies’ crop pest load
MarketsFarm — How problematic insects fare across the Prairies in 2020 depends largely on the weather this spring, according to three provincial insect specialists. Be the insects grasshoppers, flea beetles, cutworms, or a few other types, their potential to cause significant damage to Prairie crops will partly depend on how dry and warm this coming […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Best not to wait to sell
MarketsFarm — As warmer winter temperatures are bound to happen, the sooner farmers can sell their feed grain the better, said Nelson Neumann, senior trader for Agfinity at Stony Plain, Alta. “There’s still a lot of high-moisture feed grain that’s in storage and frozen,” he said, commenting “I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a […] Read more

U.S. Senate passes CUSMA trade deal
Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved a revamp of the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement that includes tougher rules on labour and automotive content but leaves US$1.2 trillion in annual U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade flows largely unchanged. The legislation for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (CUSMA) passed on an 89-10 bipartisan vote, sending the […] Read more

Britain launches farm bill as Brexit paves way for major reforms
London | Reuters — An agriculture bill will be introduced in Britain’s parliament on Thursday, with funding for the industry increasingly linked to tackling environmental challenges as the country develops its own farm policy for the first time in decades. Britain currently abides by the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy but is set to leave the […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybeans sag despite China trade deal signing
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures fell to a one-month low on Wednesday even as U.S. President Donald Trump signed a “Phase One” trade deal with China, the world’s top soy importer, reflecting traders’ uncertainty about the terms of the pact. Corn followed soybeans lower, but wheat futures surged to their highest in more […] Read more

Thunder Bay wraps up active shipping season
MarketsFarm — The last cargo vessel of the year departed the Port of Thunder Bay on Sunday, bringing total cargo shipments through the facility to their highest level in half-a-decade. “Strong shipments of Prairie-grown grain and other dry bulk commodities from Western Canada buoyed the port’s cargo tonnage to 9.3 million metric tonnes, the highest […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat hits six-month top as world prices rise
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures hit a six-month high on Tuesday, supported by a pickup in export business and news that Russia, the world’s top wheat supplier, is considering limiting grain exports through June, traders said. Soybean futures ended flat and corn drifted lower as brokers awaited Wednesday’s signing of a U.S.-China Phase […] Read more

Prairie barley groups back new research funding arm
The three Prairie barley growers’ groups are taking a more “collaborative” approach to longer-term national and regional research work on barley breeding. SaskBarley, Alberta Barley and the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association on Monday launched what they’ve dubbed the Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC), following a path similar to that of the three provincial […] Read more