Louis Dreyfus’ oilseed processing plant at Yorkton, Sask. (LDC.com)

Commodity merchant Louis Dreyfus creates food solutions unit

Company to draw on existing oilseeds processing portfolio

Paris | Reuters — Agricultural commodity merchant Louis Dreyfus Co. (LDC) has created a food and feed solutions business line as part of efforts to diversify its activities in step with consumer trends, the company said on Tuesday. The new unit will focus on developing LDC’s presence in the lecithin, glycerine and specialty feed protein […] Read more

(Greg Berg photo)

CBOT weekly outlook: Soy futures find support, but upside limited

Corn activity mainly bearish

MarketsFarm — Solid export demand, a short squeeze by fund traders and production uncertainty in South America have all propped up Chicago soybean futures over the past week, with more gains possible ahead of the year-end before correcting lower, according to an analyst. With the South American harvest still some time away, “you might have […] Read more


Grain ships carrying Ukrainian grain are seen in the Black Sea, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, near Ukrainian port of Odesa, Ukraine Oct. 30, 2022. (Photo: Reuters/Serhii Smolientsev)

Black Sea grain export deal extended

Deal's terms unchanged; Moscow to still seek removal of obstacles to grain, fertilizer exports

Reuters — A deal aimed at easing global food shortages by helping Ukraine export its agricultural products from Black Sea ports was extended for four months on Thursday, though Russia said its own demands were yet to be fully addressed. The agreement, initially reached in July, created a protected transit corridor and was designed to […] Read more

ICE January 2023 canola (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2) and ICE March 2023 canola (black line). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Premium showing in front-month canola

'Surge' of farmer selling expected in January

MarketsFarm — The ICE Futures canola market held rangebound during the week ended Nov. 16, with the widening premium of the nearby January contract over the March futures seen as a sign of good nearby demand. ICE January canola settled Wednesday at $882.40 per tonne, a $10.50 per tonne premium over the March contract. That […] Read more


Cargo ship Despina V, carrying Ukrainian grain, is seen in the Black Sea off Kilyos near Istanbul, Turkey on Nov. 2, 2022.  (Photo: Reuters/Umit Bektas)

Reasons for optimism seen on renewal for Ukraine grain deal

Deal set to roll over on Saturday

Reuters — A United Nations source on Wednesday said they have reasons to be “cautiously optimistic” on the renewal of a Black Sea grains export agreement, which is set to roll over on Saturday unless there are objections. The U.N.-backed agreement on July 22 allowed grain shipments to resume from certain Ukrainian ports on the […] Read more

ICE January 2023 canola (candlesticks) with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Trader sees canola topping $900 mark soon

Crush margins at 'very, very extreme levels'

MarketsFarm — Despite surpassing the $900 per tonne mark at times during the week ended Wednesday, ICE Futures’ January canola contract never settled above that psychological level. Rising prices prior to the weekend later gave away to selling pressure after the weekend due to a correction in vegetable oil prices, according to broker Ken Ball […] Read more

Hops growing on a standard trellis structure in Norfolk County.

Growing for new markets

Specialty crop production has many hurdles

Ontario produces a wide range of crops but that range could be even greater if farmers had access to more production information and markets.  Evan Elford, new crop development specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), considers market identification the top challenge for specialty crops, whether they are new or […] Read more


File photo of a sunrise over an Alberta barley crop. (MNphotography/iStock/Getty Images)

Alberta issues final crop report for year

Harvest over 98 per cent done by region and crop type

MarketsFarm –– For the second year in a row the Alberta harvest wrapped up well ahead of the five-year average. With a gain of three points for the week ended Tuesday, Alberta Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development (AFRED) pegged the combining of major crops at 99.2 per cent complete. That’s 22 and a half […] Read more

(Lightguard/iStock/Getty Images)

Saskatchewan’s harvest 90 per cent complete

MarketsFarm — Excellent weather over the week ended Monday saw Saskatchewan farmers make good harvest progress, with 90 per cent of the province’s crops off the field, according to the latest provincial report. Harvest progress was up from 81 per cent the previous week — and from the five-year average of 82 per cent. While […] Read more