Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose to a three-week high on Monday and soymeal jumped more than two per cent on buying backed by concerns that dry weather in Argentina will hurt crop yields. Corn futures fell more than one per cent, reversing early gains after technical selling, while wheat futures also eased […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybeans, meal rise on Argentina weather

Baltic Dry Index nears four-year highs
CNS Canada –– The Baltic Dry Index has climbed sharply over the past two weeks, rising to its highest levels in nearly four years. The BDI settled at 1,662 points on Friday, having gained 300 points since the middle of November. The index was last above 1,600 in January 2014. The BDI is compiled daily […] Read more

Brandt to buy first U.S. manufacturing plant
A Canadian farm and industrial equipment manufacturer is preparing to set up its first U.S. base to make farm equipment for U.S. corn and soybean growers. The Regina-based Brandt Group, whose farm equipment lines include loaders and skid steers as well as augers, conveyors and vacuums for grain handling, announced Friday it will buy a […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy, corn follow broad commodities strength higher
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose Friday and corn futures hit a three-week high, following broad strength in commodities at the start of the month and a softer U.S. dollar, analysts said. The 19-market Thomson Reuters CoreCommodity Index rose 0.8 per cent, snapping a four-session slide. Chicago Board of Trade January soybeans settled […] Read more

Larger crops expected in StatsCan report
CNS Canada — Canada’s canola and wheat production likely ended up larger than earlier expectations, but just how much more remains to be seen, as industry participants await the Statistics Canada production report due out Wednesday. “The finish seemed to be better than what the weather looked like earlier in the year,” said Neil Townsend […] Read more

Ontario general farm organization fee increasing
Ontario farmers will be paying more for their representation by their general farm organizations in 2018 after the government approved a $30 increase. The annual fee will be $225 plus HST for membership in the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario or National Farmers Union-Ontario. All registered farmers have to pay the […] Read more

Farmers seen harder hit by opioid crisis than rest of rural U.S.
Chicago | Reuters — The opioid crisis in the United States is impacting farm and ranch families more acutely than their rural neighbours, according to a survey published by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and the U.S. National Farmers Union on Thursday. About three-quarters of farmers and ranchers surveyed said a family member, someone […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn firms on short-covering at month’s end
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures rose on Thursday as fund-driven short-covering at the end of the month overshadowed disappointing export sales data, analysts said. Wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trade ended mostly lower, with nearby contracts pressured by heavier-than-expected deliveries against the December contract on first notice day. Soybeans fell, led […] Read more

U.S. EPA ups biofuel targets slightly
Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it will require fuel companies to blend slightly more biofuels into the nation’s gasoline and diesel next year, angering oil refiners who view them as a competitive threat. The announcement follows weeks of lobbying by Midwestern lawmakers and representatives of the corn industry who wanted […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn up on export demand, technical bounce
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures rose about one per cent Wednesday on fresh export demand and bargain-buying after the spot December contract dipped to a contract low, traders said. Wheat futures firmed, stabilizing after a series of contract lows in recent days, while soybeans ended fractionally lower after a choppy session. Most-active March […] Read more