Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures climbed for a second straight day on Thursday on bargain buying following the market’s recent drop and on a weather-reduced wheat crop in Russia, the world’s top exporter. Corn followed wheat higher, underpinned by concerns that heavy rains and flooding in parts of the U.S. Midwest could drag […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat jumps on global crop worries

U.S. grains: Soy futures consolidate day after 10-year low
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean and corn futures ended nearly flat on Wednesday, consolidating one day after the front soybean contract plunged to a near 10-year low on trade tensions and favorable Midwest crop weather, analysts said. Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures rose more than two per cent in technical moves, including traders […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy nears 10-year low on trade row, weather
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures plunged to their lowest level in nearly a decade on Tuesday as escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China, the world’s biggest soy buyer, prompted fund-driven selling, analysts said. Corn and wheat followed broad declines in the commodity sector. Favourable weather in the Midwest bolstered corn and […] Read more

Trump says ‘getting there’ in NAFTA talks
Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday progress was being made in slow-moving talks to update the NAFTA trade accord between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, but he held out the prospect of striking bilateral pacts if a three-way deal could not be reached. “We’re trying to equalize it. It’s not […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn at contract lows, soy dips below $9
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell to life-of-contract lows on Monday and soybeans briefly dipped below US$9 a bushel for the first time since 2016 as favourable weather outlooks bolstered yield prospects and trade tensions threatened export demand, analysts said. Chicago Board of Trade soft red winter wheat futures also sagged and K.C. […] Read more

More sensors for planters
A seed trench firmer with sensors takes readings every eighth of an inch across the field
As Wayne Vitek drove across a field near Mitchell’s Bay planting soybeans recently, a group of sensors took 200 readings per second at the soil level. A Smart Firmer was in place of where a Keaton Seed firmer might have been, flattening the soil over the seed trench, but also collecting data on soil organic […] Read more

Transport agency orders Hudson Bay Railway to start repairs
The Canadian Transportation Agency has ordered the current owners of the Hudson Bay Railway to get repair work underway by July 3 at the latest. The CTA — the quasi-judicial tribunal and regulator for the Canadian transport sector — on Wednesday granted a request filed by an unnamed representative of Manitoba’s provincial opposition New Democrats […] Read more

U.S. EPA won’t force refiners to make up waived biofuels volumes
New York | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday it cannot make large oil refineries blend additional biofuels into their gasoline to make up for volumes waived under the small refinery hardship waiver program, unless Congress authorizes it. The agency’s decision was certain to anger the powerful U.S. corn lobby and […] Read more

U.S. grains: China trade spat sparks soy futures selloff
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures plunged 2.5 per cent to a one-year low on Friday on concerns that escalations in a trade fight with China would threaten shipments to the biggest buyer of the oilseed, traders said. U.S. President Donald Trump announced hefty tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese imports on Friday, with […] Read more

Canada says agreed with U.S. to keep NAFTA alive, no talks set
Reuters — Canada agreed with the U.S. on Thursday that slow-moving talks to update NAFTA should continue, although they did not set a date for the next round, a senior official said in remarks casting further doubt on the chances of a deal this year. Negotiations to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement started […] Read more