ICE November 2021 canola (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Analyst sees canola spike late next month

Movement expected to roll out of November soon

MarketsFarm — As the canola harvest winds down on the Prairies, ICE Futures canola began to climb upward in approaching $900 per tonne, the upper limit of its range. That’s given Winnipeg-based analyst Wayne Palmer of Exceed Grain reason to believe canola will bust through $900 per tonne. “That’s all due to the drought and […] Read more

In both wheat and barley, boron deficiency causes the unfertilized cereal grain flowers to open up just like open pollinated rye. The consequences of deficiencies are failure to set seed, as in canola and wheat, and, in barley, the open, exposed cereal flowers can have very high levels of ergot.

Bring on the boron

Boron deficiency can cause failure to set seed and ergot infection

Over the last few years in the Prairies, there has been something of a resurgence of interest in boron. This micronutrient is critical for normal plant growth, particularly crop maturity, and water balance — and is a key factor in seed set and crop yield. In man and animals, this micronutrient is essential for weight […] Read more


The strength or weakness of a basis at any point in time can be viewed as a bellwether that informs grain sellers where the market is at, and where it might be headed.

Have you got your basis covered?

To score a grain marketing home run, understand and monitor basis levels

Basis is a marketing instrument utilized by grain handling companies to attract grain when they need it or to discourage delivery when they don’t. Used for crops that have an active futures trading market like wheat and canola, basis is the difference between a local cash price for a commodity and its price on the […] Read more



Once you have a network of buyers you’d like to do business with, it pays to stay in touch — it will likely improve your chances of being alerted to pricing specials when they come around.

Be a better grain marketer

It’s more important than ever to be an astute grain marketer. Strengthen your position with these pro tips

Reg Dyck farmed for more than 40 years near Starbuck, Man., but he knew early on that grain marketing was something he wanted to learn more about. In fact, Dyck was still in high school when he started taking marketing extension courses put on by Manitoba Agriculture and other ag agencies. “What motivated me, I […] Read more

(Xinzheng/Getty Images)

‘Two Michaels’ have left China, Trudeau says

Huawei CFO en route back to China

Ottawa | Reuters — Two Canadian citizens who were detained by Beijing for more than 1,000 days have left Chinese airspace and will arrive back in Canada early on Saturday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Friday. Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were picked up in December 2018, shortly after Vancouver police arrested Huawei Technologies […] Read more


Huawei Technologies CFO Meng Wanzhou leaves her home to attend a court hearing in Vancouver on Sept. 24, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Jesse Winter)

Huawei executive, U.S. reach deal to dismiss charges

Meng Wanzhou would be allowed to leave Canada

Updated, Sept. 24 — Reuters — Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou has reached an agreement with U.S. prosecutors to end the bank fraud case against her, U.S. prosecutors said on Friday, a move that should allow her to leave Canada and relieve a point of tension between China and the United States. Meng was […] Read more



ICE November 2021 canola (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, green and black lines). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola waiting on fresh news

MarketsFarm — The ICE Futures canola market held rangebound during the week ended Wednesday, looking for some direction. “None of these markets are flashing any strong signals that there’s much going on… they’re waiting for fresh news and there isn’t much around right now,” said Ken Ball of PI Financial in Winnipeg. While uncertainty over […] Read more

File photo of emerging durum south of Griffin, Sask. on May 31, 2019. (Leeann Minogue photo)

BASF warns on seeding choices for drought-hit imi-treated fields

Steer clear of non-Clearfield canola, durum, canary seed in rotations, company says

Updated, Sept. 22 — The maker of Odyssey, Solo and Viper is warning grain growers whose fields were excessively dry in 2021 that those herbicides may not break down soon enough in those soils to allow certain seeding choices in 2022. BASF Canada on Monday issued an “urgent notice to growers” in which the company […] Read more