Latest Newsletter

CBOT November 2019 soybeans (candlestick) and December 2019 corn (line). (Barchart)
Crops, Markets

U.S. grains: Corn futures rally on weather concerns

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Chicago | Reuters — Volatility roiled the commodity grain futures markets on Monday, as uncertainty in the U.S. weather forecast supported corn and the growing tensions in the U.S.-China trade war weighed on soybeans. Wheat futures ended the day up on technical buying, traders said. China’s commerce ministry said that Chinese companies have stopped buying […] Read more
Wheat is maturing quickly, and some in Ontario has been harvested but conditions have been good for developing fusarium.
Crops

Managing fusarium in wheat in harvest and storage

Drying wheat may make sense and there are lessons to be learned from drying soys in 2018

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Fusarium will likely be an issue in this year’s wheat crop with wet and cool conditions turning wet, warm and humid around grain fill. However, there are ways to manage the crop to protect quality against infection, harvest and storage problems. Why it matters: With proper handling techniques, farmers can minimize quality issues and get […] Read more
Use a phone camera to check in hard to see places for areas that need to be cleaned.
Crops

Prepare your grain bins before setting out for harvest

Tips and tricks for making sure bins are clean and ready for a new crop

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Before filling grain bins or using temporary storage, thoroughly clean the bins or storage site. Follow these steps each time you empty a bin and before filling it with new grain: Eliminate dust and dockage from any cracks in the bin. Repair holes, cracks and leaks in the bin and cracks in the floor if […] Read more
Ideal timing of ear rot fungicides can lower DON levels by 60 per cent. When silk is brown is too late.
Crops, News

Timing fungicide applications on corn crops essential

Delayed maturity of corn may put it into more favourable conditions for disease development

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Delayed maturity in corn throughout the province from late planting into challenging soil conditions is causing corn maturity to move into more favourable conditions for many diseases. Albert Tenunta, OMAFRA’s field crops pathologist and Dave Hooker, an associate professor at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown College, said at the recent Ridgetown-based Crop Diagnostic Days that […] Read more
Desiccants should be used only when 85 per cent of field peduncles have changed colour.
Crops

Timing of 2019 wheat harvest challenging

Uneven staging and fusarium head blight have complicated harvest decisions

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Uneven staging of wheat fields across Ontario is making it difficult for farmers to make the call on when to harvest. Why it matters: Difficulty with timing of harvest can create a window of opportunity for fusarium development, lodging problems and poor quality grain. Less than ideal conditions last fall and the cold, wet spring […] Read more
Agricultural commodity prices are expected to remain low over the next decade because of ample supplies of oilseeds, grains, meat and other commodities.
News

Crop prices poised to stagnate: FAO

A new report says world oilseed demand isn’t expected to keep up with supply, which could result in lower prices

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Glacier FarmMedia – For the last five years, or longer, plant-based protein has been the shining star of global agriculture. Global demand for plant-based protein has exploded, thanks to massive Chinese imports of soybeans and booming public consumption of veggie burgers and other forms of plant protein. However, protein’s star could fade over the next […] Read more
The Bayer AG logo at the headquarters in France. Bayer AG has struck down its own plans to sell Nemastrike – a seed treatment designed to protect against nematodes – after reviewing experiences from farmers and applicators. Photo: Reuters/Benoit Tessier/File

Bayer cancels plans to sell U.S. crop product in 2020 over safety concerns

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Chicago | Reuters – Bayer AG has scrapped plans for wide sales next year of a chemical that is intended to protect U.S. crops from yield-robbing worms, citing ongoing safety concerns. The decision is the latest setback for Germany-based Bayer following its acquisition of Monsanto for $63 billion in 2018. Bayer is separately battling thousands of lawsuits claiming Monsanto’s glyphosate-based […] Read more
“All of our customers in feedlot alley are all thinking the same thing – that ‘prices will go down.’” Photo: Thinkstock
Markets

Feed weekly outlook: Feed grain bids fall with rain

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MarketsFarm – Improving crop conditions have weighed on Western Canadian feed barley prices over the past month as attention turns from the tight old crop supply situation to the upcoming harvest. “Prices are dropping every day it rains,” said Mike Fleischhauer of Eagle Commodities in Lethbridge, Alta. He said barley prices have come off by […] Read more

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