The owner of the Sobeys and Canada Safeway chains has a deal in place to buy southern Ontario grocery retailer Farm Boy, a well known patron of the region’s producers. In a deal still subject to review by the federal Competition Bureau, Empire Co. announced Monday it will pay $800 million for the grocery chain, […] Read more

Sobeys parent to buy fresh-food grocer Farm Boy

Stripe rust research breakthrough in wheat announced
For the first time, scientists have isolated genes that show major resistance to stripe rust, a disease that has devastated crops worldwide. Researchers working together at several locations around the world have cloned rust-resistance genes: Yr7, Yr5 and YrSP. Why it matters: It’s hoped these genes can next be used in wheat-breeding programs to help […] Read more

Mexico says will seek deal with Canada if NAFTA talks fail
Mexico City | Reuters — Mexico’s incoming government will pursue a bilateral deal with Canada if talks to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement falter, Mexican president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday. After more than a year of talks to modernize the NAFTA trade pact between the United States, Mexico and Canada, […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn higher on export demand, short-covering
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures climbed more than one per cent on Friday to their highest in more than a week, buoyed by end-user demand and fund short-covering, analysts said. Wheat and soybean futures declined but still recorded weekly advances. Chicago Board of Trade December corn settled up 4-3/4 cents at $3.57-1/4 per […] Read more

North Dakota still on lookout for Palmer amaranth
CNS Canada –– Officials in North Dakota continue to hunt down suspicious plants in a bid to keep the aggressive weed Palmer amaranth from establishing there. Palmer amaranth, a pigweed species, made its first confirmed appearance in North Dakota last month, in a soybean field in McIntosh County, in the south-central area of the state. […] Read more

Give bins pills to ensure they stay healthy
Off-the-shelf sensors are being evaluated for their ability to monitor bins
Grain storage sensors being developed at the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute use over-the-counter electrical components and offer better coverage in large bins. “The point of them is to try and get full coverage of moisture and temperature throughout a grain bin because we found that the options that are available now give limited coverage,” said […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, soy up as export data sparks short-covering
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures climbed nearly two per cent on Thursday, hitting a one-week high as higher-than-expected weekly export sales and prospects for U.S. harvest delays sparked a round of short-covering, analysts said. Soybeans also rose about two per cent, while wheat futures posted modest gains after a choppy session. Chicago Board […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybeans rebound from 10-year low
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose roughly two per cent on Wednesday, rebounding a day after the most active contract fell to a 10-year low as the harvest of a likely record-large U.S. crop got under way, analysts said. U.S. wheat futures climbed on technical buying and tightening global supplies, while corn futures […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy hits 10-year low on huge U.S. crop, trade woes
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures fell to life-of-contract lows on Tuesday and the most actively traded contract hit its lowest in a decade as an escalating U.S.-China trade war darkened U.S. export prospects, analysts said. Corn futures also hit contract lows as the U.S. harvest expanded, while wheat futures rose on tightening global […] Read more

Trump to slap more tariffs on Chinese goods
Washington | Reuters | Updated Sept. 18, 2018 — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he will impose 10 per cent U.S. tariffs on about US$200 billion worth of Chinese imports, but he spared smart watches from Apple and Fitbit and other consumer products such as bicycle helmets and baby car seats. Trump, in […] Read more