(Dave Bedard photo)

Diesel prices poised to rise in new year

CNS Canada — The lingering effects of two large hurricanes in the U.S. continue to be felt in the diesel market as harvest winds down throughout North America. In particular, Hurricane Harvey was a disruptive force on the U.S. energy market as it temporarily halted production at refineries. Both gas and diesel prices rose in […] Read more

(Allan Dawson file photo)

U.S. grains: Corn slides on technicals, hefty global stocks

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. December corn futures fell to a life-of-contract low on Tuesday on technical selling and ample global supplies, traders said. Soybeans also fell as slightly wetter forecasts for crop areas of Argentina eased near-term concerns about dryness. But wheat closed higher on bargain-buying after most months sank to contract lows. Chicago […] Read more

Germany’s Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt. (Thomas Imo photo, Bmel.de)

Germany’s Merkel scolds ally in glyphosate row

Berlin | Reuters — German Chancellor Angela Merkel scolded a minister on Tuesday in a bid to shield talks on forming a coalition government from a dispute between cabinet colleagues over an EU herbicide licence. Conservative Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt angered the centre-left SPD on Monday by breaking protocol to back a European Union proposal […] Read more

(Video screengrab from DeveronUAS.com)

Climate Corp. to partner with Canadian drone data firm

In a bid to bring its eye-in-the-sky views of clients’ fields closer to Earth, Monsanto’s Climate Corp. has struck up a partnership with a Canadian drone data provider. Climate on Nov. 15 announced an “official” partnership with Toronto-based Deveron UAS, which operates a fleet of drones serving farm clients across North America, to deliver “advanced” […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. grains: Wheat hits contract lows

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures sank 1.4 per cent to fresh contract lows on Monday, pressured by poor demand for U.S. supplies from overseas buyers, traders said. The drop in wheat weighed on corn futures while soybean futures edged higher, underpinned by concerns about crop development in South America. The […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Germany swings EU vote in favour of glyphosate

Brussels | Reuters — Germany defeated its key EU ally France in a very tight vote on Monday to clear the use of glyphosate herbicide for the next five years after a heated debate over whether it causes cancer. After months of indecisive votes among the 28 member states in Brussels, Germany, whose Chancellor Angela […] Read more

(Photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

French court suspends pesticides over potential harm to bees

Paris | Reuters — A French court suspended on Friday the licence for two pesticides made by Dow Chemical, citing uncertainty over environmental risks including their effects on bees. The preliminary ruling by an administrative court in the city of Nice overturned a decision by France’s health and environment agency ANSES in September to grant […] Read more

A truck bears the logo of the Fortune brand, used by Cofco’s China Agri subsidiary to market rice and flour. (Cofco.com)

China to subsidize grain transportation, storage

Beijing | Reuters — China plans to subsidize grain transportation and storage facilities in the latest push by Beijing to modernize the world’s largest agriculture sector. Beijing will subsidize projects upgrading or building facilities to load and receive grains along main railways and ports for major waterways including the Yangtze and Pearl rivers, a document […] Read more


Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay speaks Nov. 24 at Agribition in Regina. (Agr.gc.ca)

Federal programs set for Growing Forward sequel

Market development, product development and overall sector development are among the priorities in the federal government’s five-year funding plan for the ag sector. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, speaking Friday at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, announced a $1 billion suite of six federally funded programs to roll out through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The Canadian […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. grains: Wheat falls to contract lows on export data

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures fell to life-of-contract lows on Friday, pressured by disappointing weekly export sales data and ample global supplies, analysts said. Corn and soybeans futures followed wheat lower, bucking support from strength in crude oil and a weaker dollar, which tends to make U.S. grains more competitive […] Read more