File photo of a sunflower crop in Manitoba. (MysticEnergy/Getty Images)

Manitoba sunflowers doing well with fewer acres

Few pest, weed problems appear so far

MarketsFarm — Despite fewer acres under hot and dry conditions, things are going well for Manitoba’s sunflower crop. Out of the 88,000 acres planted for sunflowers across Canada, 77,000 of them are in Manitoba, according to Statistics Canada’s (StatCan) principal field crop acreage estimates released June 28. Both figures represent the fewest number of acres […] Read more

ICE November 2023 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola makes huge move

Prairies' dry patches add to upswing

MarketsFarm — Canola came out of Canada Day continuing to build on gains made going into the holiday, largely due to spillover from the Chicago soy complex. The U.S. Department of Agriculture last Friday released its planted acres report, which saw soybeans lose four million acres from the 87.5 million planted in 2022, leading to […] Read more

Detail from the front of the CBOT building in Chicago. (Vito Palmisano/iStock/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly outlook: Acreage at forefront in soy, corn markets

USDA estimates were bullish for soy, bearish for corn

MarketsFarm — Surprising acreage estimates released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture last Friday could remain a major feature in soybean and corn markets for the foreseeable future, as traders contemplate a much smaller-than-expected soybean acreage base and larger-than-expected corn area. “You can’t close your eyes on these acreage numbers,” said Scott Capinegro of Barrington […] Read more

(iStock photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: More U.S. peas, chickpeas expected in 2023

On the other hand, fewer lentils and beans

MarketsFarm — It was a mixed bag for forecasted seeded pulse acres in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA released its acreage report on Friday, with data provided by respondents between May 30 and June 15. The report came two days after Statistics Canada (StatCan) released its June acreage […] Read more

File photo of the facade of the U.S. Department of Agriculture building in Washington, D.C. (Camrocker/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. farmers plant more corn, less soybeans in 2023

Total U.S. wheat acres estimated up about 8.5 per cent

MarketsFarm — Farmers in the United States seeded more corn and less soybeans than earlier intentions in 2023, according to updated acreage data Friday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Total corn plantings in the country were estimated by USDA at 94.1 million acres, which was a million acres above the top end of trade […] Read more


CBOT December 2023 corn with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soy tumble on forecasts for much-needed rains

CBOT September wheat also lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell more than four per cent and soybeans more than two per cent on Wednesday, pressured by forecasts for beneficial rains in the Midwest where crops have struggled with dry conditions, analysts said. Wheat also declined, pressured by the expanding U.S. winter wheat harvest and a larger-than-expected Canadian […] Read more

Corn in progress just east of Blumenort, Man. on July 20, 2022. (Dave Bedard photo)

CBOT weekly outlook: Corn could surprise in USDA’s acres report

Eyes on dry conditions in the Dakotas

MarketsFarm — Although grains analyst Terry Reilly of Futures International said he isn’t expecting any big changes in two upcoming reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, he suggested there’s an opportunity for couple of notable alterations. USDA is scheduled to release its planted acreage and quarterly grain stocks reports on Friday at 11 a.m. […] Read more

Wheat in progress west of Pathlow, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2022. (Dave Bedard photo)

Canadian canola, wheat area up on the year: StatCan

More soybean, corn acres also estimated

MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers planted more canola than earlier intentions, according to updated acreage estimates from Statistics Canada released Wednesday. Meanwhile, wheat plantings hit their highest level in more than two decades. Total canola plantings were estimated at 22.1 million acres by the government agency, which compares with the 21.6 million expected in April and […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Analysts expect little change in new StatCan numbers

Weather was 'pretty conducive to plantings'

MarketsFarm — Dry conditions in much of the Prairies this spring may leave seeding areas relatively unchanged ahead of Statistic Canada’s (StatCan) principal field crop report, due to be released Wednesday. It will be the second survey-based acreage report for the 2023-24 marketing year, after the first one was released in April. While growing conditions […] Read more

Photo: File

Repeat of record Australian wheat, canola crops unlikely

ABARES expects 2023-24 crop down on year

MarketsFarm — After growing record-large wheat and canola crops in 2022-23, Australia is expected to see a significant drop in production in 2023-24 as developing El Nino weather patterns will likely cut rainfall through the growing season, according to the latest crop report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES). […] Read more