File photo of barley being unloaded at a grain terminal in Ukraine on June 23, 2022. (Photo: Reuters/Igor Tkachenko)

Ukraine’s farm output could take 20 years to recover, study suggests

Some crop sectors may recover more quickly

Kyiv | Reuters — Ukraine’s agricultural sector could take 20 years or more in parts to recover from the ravages of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to a Kyiv-based research centre. Ukraine is a major global grower and exporter of wheat, corn, sunflower and sunflower oil, but its production has fallen sharply since the war start […] Read more

CBOT July 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans reach one-month high on weather woes

Wheat up, corn mixed

Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. soybean futures hit a one-month high on Tuesday on worries about dry conditions in the Midwest hurting crop prospects and spillover strength from crude oil, traders said. Corn futures were mostly higher on the Midwest weather jitters, but the nearby July contract fell on profit-taking and worries about demand for […] Read more


Signage on Viterra’s office building in Regina. (Dave Bedard photo)

Bunge, Viterra confirm marriage plans

Firms to merge under Bunge banner

The grain handler built out from the foundations of the former Prairie pools is set to be absorbed into one of the world’s biggest grain trading firms in a cash-and-stock deal. After the news leaked out last month, Rotterdam-based Viterra confirmed Tuesday morning it’s “concluded an agreement” to merge into Bunge — the St. Louis-based […] Read more

AAFC’s Drought Monitor map as of May 31, 2023.

Drought expands across Canadian Prairies

Dry conditions push eastward in Manitoba

MarketsFarm — Warm and dry conditions across much of the Prairies in May caused drought conditions to worsen, especially in Alberta, according to the latest Drought Monitor report from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. As of May 31, an estimated 79 per cent of the Prairie region was classified as abnormally dry (D0) or in moderate […] Read more


CBOT July 2023 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn climbs on dry conditions

Wheat follows corn higher, soybeans mixed

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures rose to a nearly two-month high on Monday as traders fretted about disappointing weekend rains and dry conditions stressing crops in portions of the Midwest crop belt, analysts said. Wheat futures followed, finding additional support from rising tensions in the Black Sea region. Soybean futures settled mixed, with […] Read more

(Thinkstock photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Hard red spring wheat bids rise

MGEX wheat rally offsets rising loonie

MarketsFarm — Spring wheat bids in Western Canada were mostly higher during the week ended Thursday, as a rally in Minneapolis spring wheat futures countered the bearish influence of a rising Canadian dollar. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS, 13.5 per cent protein) wheat prices were up by $8.80-$10.70 per tonne across the Prairies, according […] Read more


RJ Sigurdson, MLA for Highwood, is sworn in on June 9, 2023 as Alberta’s minister of agriculture and irrigation. (Government of Alberta video screengrab via YouTube)

Calgary-area MLA named Alberta’s new ag minister

RJ Sigurdson to handle ag file, Horner moves to finance

The Alberta government’s caucus lead on emergency medical services (EMS) reform has been promoted to handle the agriculture file in a post-election cabinet shuffle. RJ Sigurdson, MLA for the constituency of Highwood, just south of Calgary, was sworn in Friday by Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani as Alberta’s new minister of agriculture and irrigation, replacing Nate Horner. […] Read more

(Qingwa/iStock/Getty Images)

USDA’s June WASDE report brings few notable changes

Canadian wheat harvest expectation unchanged

MarketsFarm — Very few major changes were made in the latest edition of the world agriculture supply and demand estimates (WASDE) published Friday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For the 2023-24 crop year, USDA pegged total domestic wheat production at 1.665 billion bushels, slightly higher than the 1.659 billion in the department’s May estimates. […] Read more


CBOT July 2023 soybeans with 20-day moving average (dark green line, right scale) and CBOT July 2023 soybean oil (yellow line, left scale). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans up as soyoil touches one-month high

Traders watch U.S. crop weather forecasts

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures exceeded a three-week high on Friday as demand from end-users helped push soybean oil above a one-month peak, traders said. Spillover support from soyoil’s rally lifted soybeans while corn futures slumped, traders said. Soyoil has advanced more than 22 per cent since dropping on May […] Read more

(Brett Holmes Photography/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast: Switch in pattern but summer sticking around

Forecast issued June 7, covering June 7-14

The weather models are doing a good job handling all the heat and humidity that has been driving thunderstorms and breaking temperature records across the eastern half of the Prairies over the last week. To the west it has been a little cooler and drier, with not as much instability to deal with, but nonetheless, […] Read more