(Dave Bedard photo)

StatsCan production report may show stronger yields

MarketsFarm — A challenging growing season across the Prairies has left questions in the market ahead of Statistics Canada’s production report, due out Wednesday. “It’s hard to get a handle on canola this year because, at this stage, the farmers are going to be a bit conservative and err on the side of caution,” said […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Flax prices muted

MarketsFarm — Flax yields are expected to be average at harvest season, thanks to the combination of more seeded acres and inclement growing conditions. Export numbers have been lower in recent years, due in part to China having opted to import flax from other countries besides Canada. According to an early 2019 report from FarmLead, […] Read more

(Botaneco Inc. photo)

Supercluster backs oilseed protein joint venture

A project to extract new high-protein ingredients from canola, hemp and other such crops for use in the food, feed and aquaculture markets will be the first to get funding from Canada’s plant protein supercluster. Protein Industries Canada (PIC), set up last year as one of five federally-backed research and innovation superclusters, announced Wednesday it […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

StatsCan: Less canola and durum, more barley and oats

MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers seeded fewer canola and durum acres than they originally intended, but more barley and oats, according to updated acreage estimates from Statistics Canada that largely came within expectations. StatsCan pegged planted Canadian canola area for 2019-20 (August to July) at 20.952 million acres, down by about 300,000 from the March survey […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Less canola, more barley area expected in next StatsCan report

MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers will likely grow less canola and more barley in 2019, though the jury is out on exact acreage numbers ahead of Statistics Canada’s seeded area estimates due out Wednesday. Barley prices have hit “historic highs” thanks to inclement corn-growing weather in the United States, which has buoyed most feed grain prices. […] Read more

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with steel workers at Stelco in Hamilton on March 13, 2018. (File photo: Reuters/Mark Blinch)

U.S. boosts trade pact’s outlook lifting tariffs on Canadian, Mexican metals

Washington/Ottawa | Reuters — The United States struck deals on Friday to lift tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico, the three governments said, removing a major obstacle to legislative approval of a new North American trade pact. The separate agreements, which will not impose U.S. quotas on Canadian and Mexican metals […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

StatsCan confirms smaller canola acres, more wheat

MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers intend to seed more spring wheat and less canola in 2019, according to Statistics Canada survey results released Wednesday. Additional shifts are also likely in subsequent reports, as dry conditions in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan may alter some intentions. Statistics Canada forecast canola area for 2019 at 21.3 million acres, which […] Read more



A police officer gestures at the photographer outside Canada’s embassy in Beijing on Dec. 12, 2018. (Photo: Reuters/Thomas Peter)

Ottawa pressed to consider more options on China’s canola ban

With canola export issues still looming large, some Canadian ag industry groups want the federal government to boost its diplomatic presence on the matter. The Canola Council of Canada on Wednesday said a Canadian technical delegation “has not yet been accepted” to travel to China and address Beijing’s recent suspensions of canola imports from two […] Read more