Ottawa – If polls and pundits are to be believed, Monday’s federal election will result in a minority government — meaning no single party would alone be dictating the immediate future of agricultural policy in Canada. While the true results won’t be known until Monday night, most pollsters are speculating either a Conservative or Liberal-led […] Read more

Future of ag policy remains unclear ahead of election

U.S. grains: Wheat hits three-month high on signs of tightening supplies
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures touched a three-month high on Friday, buoyed by rising cash prices and signs of tightening global supplies, analysts said. Soybean futures rose on worries about the size of the U.S. harvest while corn fell on disappointing weekly U.S. export sales. At the Chicago Board of Trade, December soft […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat futures approach three-month high
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures hit their highest level in nearly three months on Thursday as signs of rising global cash prices prompted a round of short covering, traders said. Corn and soybean futures also climbed, supported by worries about the size of U.S. crops, while traders continued to monitor prospects for a […] Read more

BHP sets early 2021 for decision on Jansen potash project
Melbourne | Reuters — BHP Group Ltd., the world’s biggest miner, said on Thursday it will make a final investment decision on its long-delayed $17 billion Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan around February 2021. Investors have been awaiting a decision by BHP on whether to go ahead with project, which would be its most significant […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy, corn sag on trade uncertainty, harvest progress
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures fell on Wednesday on uncertainty surrounding the particulars of U.S.-China trade talks, along with pressure from the expanding Midwest harvest, analysts said. Wheat futures bucked the weak trend, climbing on technical buying and news that Egypt, a top global importer, bought 405,000 tonnes of wheat in […] Read more

Trump administration proposes plan to raise biofuels use, EPA says
New York | Reuters — The Trump administration, in an effort to mend fences with the powerful U.S. corn lobby, proposed a new formula on Tuesday to boost biofuels demand — but the proposal instead only provoked more consternation from the industry. Corn and soybean farmers have been angered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn, soy decline as China trade uncertainty lingers
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures closed lower on Tuesday on technical selling and seasonal pressure from the expanding U.S. harvest, along with uncertainty about the terms of a U.S.-China trade pact announced last month, analysts said. Wheat followed the weaker trend, with all three markets retreating from multi-month highs established a […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybeans climb on weather worries
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures neared a four-month high on Monday, supported by fears that wintry weather over the weekend threatened Midwest production at a time of tightening U.S. soy supplies, analysts said. Wheat futures firmed on short-covering and worries about frosty temperatures in the U.S. Plains wheat belt, while corn ended steady, […] Read more

Mosaic to further curb Saskatchewan potash output
Fertilizer firm Mosaic Co. is dialing back production at another of its potash mines in eastern Saskatchewan as its potash inventories rise. Minnesota-based Mosaic Co. said Thursday it will “temporarily curtail” potash production at its Esterhazy mine, bringing the company’s total production curtailments up to 600,000 tonnes. The added curtailment, the company said, is based […] Read more

Wet fall raises risk of Manitoba spring flood
MarketsFarm — Manitoba’s Red River Valley is very wet heading into the winter freeze, but it’s still too early to say if the saturated soils will lead to flooding in the spring, according to provincial forecasters. The Manitoba government on Wednesday took the unprecedented step of opening the Red River Floodway, marking the first time […] Read more