U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump survey damage and are briefed by a FEMA official on March 8, 2019 in Beauregard, Alabama, where 23 people in Lee County were killed by tornadoes earlier in the week. (Photo: Reuters/Mike Theiler)

Trump budget proposes steep subsidy cuts to U.S. farmers

Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2020 budget on Monday proposed a 15 per cent cut for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, calling its subsidies to farmers “overly generous” at a time when they are going through the worst crisis in decades because of depressed commodity prices and Trump’s trade tariffs. The Republican […] Read more


(File photo)

Feed weekly outlook: Tight supplies, good demand support barley

Solid demand, both domestically and internationally, coupled with tightening world supplies is keeping barley bids well supported in Western Canada and should lead to increased acres this spring. “The price of feed barley is staying historically high,” said Brian Otto, chair of the Barley Council of Canada, noting feed barley at Lethbridge was currently trading […] Read more


A still image taken from CCTV video shows Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg on Jan. 14 in court, where on retrial for drug smuggling he was sentenced to the death penalty in Dalian in China’s Liaoning province. (Photo: CCTV/Reuters TV)

Canola trade on edge over China tensions

Canadian canola exports to China face some uncertainty as concerns mount that political tensions between the two countries could spill into trade. The back-and-forth tariff dispute between the U.S. and China, and resulting decline in Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans, originally led to ideas that Canada would pick up some of the slack with increased […] Read more


Aaron Fowler, Canada’s chief agriculture trade negotiator.

Canadian negotiator said CUSMA deal had to be done

The Canadian negotiators received pressure to end supply management until late in the negotiations

Canadian agriculture negotiators were dealing with proposals from the United States that would end supply management into September, 2018, not long before the deal was eventually completed at the end of September. That goes against the assurances of U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue while visiting Canada last summer that the Americans didn’t want an end […] Read more

soybean plantation road mountain brazil

Soybean stocks mean trade truce could result in little price movement

Likely further weakness in the Canadian dollar could mean export opportunities

Ontario soybean, corn and wheat yields were higher than expected on Statistics Canada’s November crop survey. Despite the larger-than-expected production, Ontario prices are slightly higher this month for all grains and oilseeds due to stronger export demand. Ontario exports of corn, soybeans and wheat continue to exceed year-ago levels as the Canadian dollar trades near […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Ag seen gaining on slightly weaker loonie in 2019

CNS Canada — Farm Credit Canada (FCC) predicts the Canadian dollar will spend the year around the 75-U.S. cent mark — slightly softer than last year’s average of 76. “We’re going to see volatility throughout the year obviously but when we look at that season, or the full year average, we’re looking for it to […] Read more


CBOT March 2019 soybeans, with 200-day moving average. (Barchart)

CBOT weekly outlook: Trade news having little effect

CNS Canada — Even though news out of Beijing regarding the trade talks between the U.S. and China were reported as ending on a positive note Wednesday morning, one broker watching the Chicago Board of Trade didn’t see it having much effect on commodities. “The only thing that would be a real positive announcement would […] Read more

ICE January 2019 canola with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola steady heading into 2019

CNS Canada –– ICE Futures canola contracts held relatively rangebound during the week ended Wednesday, and should be expected to remain steady heading into the New Year barring outside political developments. “We’re in a doldrums environment,” said Mike Jubinville of ProFarmer Canada in Winnipeg. “The supply/demand fundamentals suggest this market is reasonably well supplied, with […] Read more