CBOT March 2020 wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Prices slip after rallying on trade deal

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain and soybean futures eased on Wednesday as the markets paused after rallying this week on demand hopes fuelled by a U.S.-China trade agreement. The long-awaited agreement included a Chinese commitment to expand purchases of U.S. farm products. However, traders are cautious about projections from Washington that deals will reach […] Read more

Agriculture ministers meeting Tuesday in Ottawa included (l-r) Devin Dreeshen (Alberta), David Marit (Saskatchewan), Bloyce Thompson (P.E.I.), Andre Lamontagne (Quebec), Marie-Claude Bibeau (Canada), Ernie Hardeman (Ontario), Blaine Pedersen (Manitoba), Lana Popham (B.C.) and Keith Colwell (Nova Scotia). (Photo courtesy AAFC)

Feds, provinces plan minor tweaks to AgriStability

Ottawa — Minor changes are coming to AgriStability following Tuesday’s meeting between federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and her provincial counterparts. Major changes, however, will have to wait. A full review of federal business risk management (BRM) will be completed in April, with the findings discussed when the federal, provincial and territorial ministers meet again […] Read more

(ThamKC/iStock/Getty Images)

White House to stick with 2020 biofuel plan, despite farmer objections

New York | Reuters — The Trump administration plans to stick with its proposed 2020 biofuel blending requirements, the White House said on Wednesday, despite anger among farmers that the plan does too little for corn growers. The decision could undermine President Donald Trump’s support among farmers, an important constituency in the November 2020 election. […] Read more

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 11, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Blair Gable)

Canada could be last to ratify CUSMA deal, Trudeau says

Ottawa | Reuters — Canada could be the last of the three North American countries to ratify a new trade deal, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday, indicating that his plan to match the U.S. timetable was set to fail. Trudeau’s Liberal government said from the start it wanted to work in tandem with […] Read more




CBOT March 2020 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: CBOT corn, soy, wheat rally after trade deal

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat, corn and soybean futures rallied on Monday, bolstered by hopes for improving export prospects due to increased demand from China and decreased competition from Argentina, traders said. Wheat notched the biggest gains, with the most-active Chicago Board of Trade soft red winter wheat contract surging 3.2 per cent to […] Read more

(CN.ca)

CN reports grain movement back at pre-strike pace

Canadian National Railway’s grain shipping is back to its pre-strike pace, the railway says. “By the second week of December (week 19), CN returned to shipping at peak levels, as well as taking on all customer hopper demand for the second and third weeks of December,” Montreal-based CN said in a release Thursday. “Despite a […] Read more


CBOT January 2020 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: China trade news provides lift

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures touched a three-week high on Friday after Washington and Beijing announced a “phase one” trade deal, but the market pared gains amid uncertainty about the details of the pact, including the size of any potential Chinese agricultural purchases. As part of the agreement, Beijing committed to buy an […] Read more

(Baranozdemir/iStock/Getty Images)

NFU paper lays out solutions for climate, farming challenges

MarketsFarm — The global climate crisis is interlinked with the financial crisis on Canadian farms, according to a new discussion paper from the National Farmers Union (NFU). The paper proposes changes to agriculture practices that could help the sector become part of the solution to both major issues. Compiled by Darrin Qualman in collaboration with […] Read more