Alberta’s incumbent agriculture minister was among the casualties as Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party defeated Rachel Notley’s New Democrats in Tuesday night’s provincial election. Oneil Carlier, the provincial NDP government’s minister of agriculture and forestry since May 2015 and deputy government house leader since February 2016, was unseated in his riding of Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland […] Read more
Alberta ag minister Carlier downed in UCP win
U.S. grains: Wheat futures tumble on increasing global supply estimates
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain and soybean futures slumped on Tuesday with strong crop ratings and increased forecasts for global harvests pushing Chicago Board of Trade wheat to a one-month low. Wheat prices came under pressure after the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a weekly report issued late on Monday, rated 60 per cent […] Read more
Regulator rips CN’s use of freight embargoes at West Coast
Canadian National Railway has been found in breach of its service obligations on grain and other traffic by a federal regulator aiming to crack down on the company’s use of freight embargoes. The Canadian Transportation Agency on Monday released its determination on “possible freight rail service issues in the Vancouver area” last fall. The regulator […] Read more
EU says ready to launch U.S. trade talks, but without agriculture
Brussels | Reuters — The European Union is ready to start talks on a trade agreement with the United States and aims to conclude a deal before year-end, European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said on Monday. The EU approved two areas for negotiation, opposed by France with an abstention from Belgium. But agriculture was not […] Read more
Stemming the hard red wheat decline
Hard red wheat is only about seven per cent of the Ontario market, but buyers are clear: they want more
Ontario wheat buyers are looking to reverse the significant decline in hard red wheat acres in the province, with better offers and the long-term potential of an identity-preserved system for desired varieties. Ontario’s wheat market moved over the past five to 10 years to a predominantly soft red wheat. In 2018, soft red wheat made […] Read more
Prairies can expect unexpected from El Nino this summer
MarketsFarm — The U.S. National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center on Thursday reported a 65 per cent chance of El Nino prevailing throughout 2019’s growing season. “A weak El Nino is likely to continue through the Northern Hemisphere summer 2019 (65 per cent chance) and possibly fall (50-55 per cent chance),” the CPC’s report said. […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, wheat firm in late rally, end week lower
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and wheat futures edged higher on Friday, lifted by a late round of short-covering and worries about planting delays following a blizzard this week, traders said. Soybean futures closed flat in dull trade. Chicago Board of Trade May corn settled up one cent at $3.61 per bushel, staying inside […] Read more
ADM says to seek early retirements, may cut jobs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain trader Archer Daniels Midland said on Wednesday it will seek voluntary early retirements by some North American employees and may eliminate individual jobs as part of a restructuring of specific areas. The actions are needed to strengthen ADM’s core business and establish the company as a global leader in […] Read more
U.S. criticizes Vietnam ban of glyphosate imports
Chicago/Hanoi | Reuters — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Thursday criticized Vietnam’s move to ban imports of glyphosate-based herbicides, saying the decision would have “devastating impacts on global agricultural production.” Vietnam’s government said in a statement that the toxic level of herbicides containing glyphosate had long been of concern, in the latest display […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans, corn slide as export sales data disappoints
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean and corn futures fell on Thursday on disappointing weekly export sales data and expectations of large South American harvests that should dampen U.S. export prospects, analysts said. Wheat futures were higher on short-covering after a five-session slide and worries that wintry weather in the Dakotas will curb plantings of […] Read more
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