CN closes deal on Iowa railway

CN closes deal on Iowa railway

The agreement will link about 275 track miles to the carrier's U.S. rail network

Canadian National Railway (CN) has inked a deal to buy an Iowa railway and connect it to its U.S. rail network, the company announced Dec. 6.

Container ships pass through locks on the Panama Canal in this file photo. (CIA.gov)

Panama Canal drought to delay grain ships well into 2024

Wait times more than doubled between October and late November, prompting some shippers to reroute

Bulk grain shippers hauling crops from the U.S. Gulf Coast export hub to Asia are sailing longer routes and paying higher freight costs to avoid vessel congestion and record-high transit fees in the drought-hit Panama Canal, traders and analysts said.

(MiCanalDePanama.com)

Baltic Dry Index at 18-month high

Restrictions at the Panama Canal and congestion at Brazilian ports behind rate hike

The Baltic Dry Index (BDI), a major indicator of bulk shipping rates, has climbed sharply higher over the past few weeks to hit its highest level in 18 months.

A vessel is seen arriving at Odesa in southern Ukraine under the Black Sea Grain Initiative on April 12, 2023. (Photo: Yulii Zozulia/Nurphoto via Reuters Connect)

Loss of Black Sea grain deal not seen as threat to global supplies, for now

Alternate routes exist but would be more expensive

Geneva | Reuters — The end of the Black Sea grain deal would not pose an immediate threat to the world market as Ukraine would still be able to export supplies, although at such a high cost that production in the war-torn country would likely fall even further. Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations […] Read more

A freight train at Manchac, La., about 75 km east of Baton Rouge. (CN.ca)

U.S. railroads, union extend strike deadline until at least Dec. 4

Teamsters warn against 'blatant attempt to cause panic'

Washington | Reuters — A group representing major railroads and a union that voted to reject a new contract said Wednesday they had agreed to extend a potential strike deadline until at least Dec. 4. The National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (BMWED) that represents 11,000 workers extended the current […] Read more



File photo of Highway 363 near Moose Jaw, Sask. (Mysticenergy/iStock/Getty Images)

Spring road bans coming into effect across Prairies

MarketsFarm — Warming temperatures and melting snow across Western Canada may cause some disruptions to grain and livestock movement over the next few weeks as seasonal spring road restrictions come into effect across the Prairies. Annual spring road restrictions set axle weight limits for vehicles moving on certain roads, in an effort to reduce the […] Read more

FCL’s Co-op Fertilizer Terminal at Brandon. (Photo courtesy Federated Co-operatives Ltd.)

Fertilizer prices to remain high for now

MarketsFarm — There are two factors to consider when it comes to fertilizer. One is the cost as it’s to remain quite expensive at least through the first quarter of 2022, according to Chris Lawson, head of fertilizers for the CRU Group. The other is its availability, said Todd Lewis, president of the Agricultural Producers […] Read more


(GFM file photo)

CFA’s Hay West program up and running

Program website now online

A revival of the “Hay West” initiative, aimed at shipping feed from Eastern Canada to supplement drought-dented supplies in the West, has gone live. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture on Friday announced its Hay West 2021 initiative is “now operational and seeking applicants to both receive and supply hay.” Applicants interested in either supplying or […] Read more

(MDS.mennonite.net)

Ontario MDS volunteers already moving hay west

Disaster response group spearheading program separate from CFA plan

It’s in the spirit of co-operation in difficult times that a group of Ontario farmers have launched a hay donation program to assist their Saskatchewan counterparts. Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Canada, a volunteer organization that provides assistance in the aftermath of disasters in Canada and the U.S., is organizing the latest iteration of Hay West […] Read more