CBOT March 2021 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy rally extends into 2021

South America soybean supply fears continue; corn ends mixed

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures extended a rally to 6-1/2-year highs before trimming gains on Monday as dry crop weather and disruptions to exports in South America continued to unsettle investors at a time of brisk Chinese demand, analysts said. Wheat closed modestly higher, while corn ended mixed, as both commodities pared gains […] Read more

Forecast probability of above-normal precipitation for the period from December 2020 through February 2021. (Environment Canada)

Seasonal forecast calls for more snow

MarketsFarm — Most of Canada should see above-normal snowfall over the next three months, according to updated seasonal forecasts released Monday from Environment Canada. Weather maps show a 40 to 60 per cent probability of more precipitation than normal across much of the country from December through February, with the heaviest accumulations expected in Quebec. […] Read more

ICE January 2021 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola stronger at midweek

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts were stronger on Wednesday, making up losses incurred earlier in the week. The nearby January contract closed Wednesday at $545.80 per tonne, gaining over $10 since closing at $534.90 on Monday. Record-high temperatures in parts of the Prairies were part of the reason behind canola’s rally. However, temperatures are […] Read more

CBOT December 2020 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn declines on long liquidation

Soybeans lower, wheat rallies

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures declined on Monday as funds scaled back long positions ahead of the U.S. presidential election, and forecasts called for optimal weather in the Midwest, where farmers are wrapping up the harvest of corn and soybeans, analysts said. Wheat futures turned higher, rallying on bargain-buying after a five-session slide. […] Read more

CBOT December 2020 wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat slides on profit-taking, weather

January soybeans up, December corn flat

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures fell on Friday for a fifth straight session, retreating from multi-year highs set last week, on fund-driven long liquidation and improving crop prospects in the southern U.S. Plains, analysts said. Soybean futures firmed on export demand while corn settled narrowly mixed, with the front December contract losing relative […] Read more


CBOT November 2020 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

CBOT weekly outlook: After October rally, November ‘is for bears’

MarketsFarm — Commodities on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) have seen a counter-season rally, with a correction expected in the near future. “Markets are definitely overbought,” said Scott Capinegro of Barrington Commodity Brokers in Barrington, Ill. “It’s harvest and we’re still rallying.” World weather conditions are part of the driving force behind the rally, […] Read more

File photo of a U.S. cotton crop. (BCFC/iStock/Getty Images)

Study shows how U.S. farm landscapes could be reshaped by climate

Plains' wheat belt would see 'hollowing-out'

London | Thomson Reuters Foundation — Climate change could render swaths of agricultural land largely useless for farming in the U.S. South, and force Midwestern farmers to move corn and soybeans elsewhere as crop yields decline, researchers said on Monday. The profits of growing six key crops are set to fall by almost a third […] Read more

Editorial: Living in 2020’s tornado alley

We didn’t know we would be in one of Ontario’s tornado alleys when we moved a short 10-minute drive south of our previous home more than a decade ago. But two tornados within seven kilometres of our farm in the past three months has my family more vigilant during hot and sultry days when a […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Prairies can expect far better harvest weather this fall

MarketsFarm — Prairie farmers are likely going have good weather over the next few weeks, according to Scott Kehler of Weatherlogics. “We got a pretty significant warm-up across most of the Prairies through to the end of September. It should be fairly warm and not too much in the way of precipitation,” he said. “At […] Read more

Average sea surface temperature anomalies over the equatorial Pacific Ocean for the week centred on Sept. 2, 2020 compared to 1981-2010 base period. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

La Nina present, 75 per cent chance seen through 2020 winter

Reuters — La Nina conditions were present in August, and have a 75 per cent chance of continuing through the Northern Hemisphere winter of 2020-21, a U.S. government weather forecaster said on Thursday. The La Nina pattern is characterized by unusually cold temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. A borderline moderate La Nina event is […] Read more