MarketsFarm — Crop development is running behind average across much of Canada, with excessive moisture delaying seeding in Ontario and dryness slowing crop development across the Prairies. That’s according to the latest satellite data from the federal Crop Condition Assessment Program (CCAP), created in partnership between Statistics Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Crop development […] Read more

Canadian crop development behind average

U.S. grains: Corn, soy rise as report shows rain slows plantings
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn futures rose on Tuesday to revisit last week’s three-year highs after the U.S. Department of Agriculture said U.S. planting was well behind the average pace for this time of year following repeated rainfall. Soybeans rose too as rain also slowed U.S. sowings, according to the […] Read more

DON-forecasting tool funded
Governments help to pay costs to set up computerized monitoring system
The federal and provincial governments are supporting the creation of an early-warning and risk assessment system for deoxynivalenol (DON). Grain Farmers of Ontario is leading the project which will work similarly to a DON-forecasting system in place for years for wheat in the province. That system monitors weather conditions to predict DON risk, which helps […] Read more

U.S. grains: CBOT wheat rallies on weather
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures rallied on Monday on concerns about harvest risks as more heavy rain was forecast in some U.S. grain belts and warm, dry weather was expected in top wheat exporter Russia. Meanwhile, corn and soybean futures traded choppily as the markets digested a threat of U.S. tariffs against Mexico, […] Read more

Former CGC assistant chief commissioner broke conflict rules
Jim Smolik, a former Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) assistant chief and acting chief commissioner, contravened post-employment obligations under the federal Conflict of Interest Act while working for Cargill Canada. That’s according to a 24-page report released May 30 by Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion. Dion ruled Smolik breached Sections 33 and 35(2) […] Read more

U.S. grains: Trump tariff threat pushes corn, soy, wheat lower
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, wheat and soybean futures fell on Friday, weighed down by fresh concerns about demand after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to place tariffs on imports of goods from Mexico in response to illegal immigration across the U.S. border. All three commodities also faced pressure from profit-taking after posting big […] Read more

Mexico, Canada plow ahead on trade pact ratification despite Trump threats
Mexico City/Ottawa | Reuters — Mexico and Canada said on Friday they would proceed with plans to ratify a new continental trade pact despite a new threat from U.S. President Donald Trump that critics say could undermine chances of the treaty coming into force. Trump, whose administration has made passing the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) free […] Read more

Trump lifts curbs on E15 gasoline
Washington | Reuters — The Trump administration on Friday lifted restrictions on the sale of higher ethanol blends of gasoline, keeping a campaign promise to farmers suffering from the trade war with China but inviting a legal challenge from the oil industry. The announcement allows gasoline stations to sell blends containing up to 15 per […] Read more
More rain for Ontario fields sees less planted acres, so far
Ontario Field Crop Report for the week of May 27
There was widespread rainfall over the weekend with most areas receiving 1 to 6 inches of rain on Saturday. It’s raining again today. Heavy downpours caused erosion and flooding around Parkhill, Tavistock, Lucan, and Embro just to name a few areas. Fields are saturated and there is little chance of field work until the end […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat, corn, soy rally on weather woes
Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. corn futures rose 4.1 per cent on Thursday, bouncing back from some technical weakness on Wednesday as traders focused on the historic slow pace of planting in the Midwest. Prices, which hit their highest in nearly three years this week, needed to continue to rally to entice farmers to seed […] Read more