(Strickke/E+/Getty Images)

Grain drying relief moving forward, one way or other

Governing Liberals telegraph plans to introduce their own measure

Despite voting against a bill to exempt certain farm fuels from the carbon tax, the governing federal Liberals say tax relief for grain drying is coming. Conservative MP Philip Lawrence’s private member’s bill C-206, An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (qualifying farming fuel), passed second reading in the House of Commons […] Read more

Snow cover in southern Manitoba has been sparse this winter, as shown across this field east of Starbuck, Man. (MarketsFarm photo by Glen Hallick)

Wet or dry spring ahead? Depends on where in Canada

MarketsFarm — There will be increased in risk of flooding this spring in British Columbia, western Alberta and parts of Eastern Canada, according to a report Friday from AccuWeather. Meanwhile, dry conditions are expected to continue across the Prairies. AccuWeather’s report forecasts below-normal temperatures for B.C. and western Alberta going into spring. That could delay […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: Profit taking pressures wheat, corn, soybeans

Warmer spell also drags on winter wheat futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures slid 2.8 per cent on Friday, their second straight day of declines, on a profit-taking setback as warming weather in the U.S. reduced the threat of damage to the dormant crop, traders said. Corn and soybean futures also were weaker but closed well above session […] Read more

(Jack Dykinga photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Prairie farm slapped with plant breeders’ rights infringement penalties

Farmers need to know who they are buying seed from to avoid potentially significant costs

Infringing on Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) has cost a large southern Alberta farm a record $737,597. “The settlement relates to unauthorized advertisements and sales of PBR-protected barley and wheat varieties,” Alliance Seed, SeCan and an unnamed seed company said in a news release Wednesday. The settlement “includes the royalties, plus legal fees and penalties,” Todd […] Read more


One Canada Square (tower at centre) houses the London head office of the International Grains Council. (Iliffd/iStock/Getty Images)

Few alterations seen in new global supply/demand report

IGC expecting more corn grown this year

MarketsFarm — There were few notable changes in the latest monthly supply-and-demand report from the International Grains Council (IGC) on Thursday. One of the more significant alterations was its 1.42 per cent increase to total global production from that in 2019-20, at nearly 2.216 billion tonnes. It also raises its estimate for this marketing year’s […] Read more

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

U.S. grains: Weak export sales report pushes soy, wheat lower

Weekly corn exports slip to eight-month low

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures fell 1.3 per cent on Thursday, after hitting a 6-1/2-year high overnight, on signs of poor export demand for U.S. supplies, traders said. Weak overseas demand also pressured the corn and wheat markets. “You had poor export sales,” said Jim Gerlach, president of U.S. broker […] Read more


File photo of a rye field in Kazakhstan. (Stsmhn/iStock/Getty Images)

Kazakhstan’s president orders ban on foreign ownership of farmland

Almaty | Reuters — Kazakhstan will permanently ban foreigners from owning or renting farmland in the vast central Asian nation, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Thursday, ending a lengthy dispute that once prompted anti-government protests. Kazakhstan is a major producer of grains, oilseeds and meat in the former Soviet region sandwiched between China and Russia […] Read more

File photo of the Prince Rupert Grain Terminal. (Dan_prat/iStock/Getty Images)

Grain shortage, cold snap cause delays at West Coast ports

'...the vessels continue to arrive'

MarketsFarm — Grain movement in Western Canada remains faced with significant difficulties, according to Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corp., which monitors rail traffic and vessel movements in Canada. February’s cold snap resulted in grain movement across the region falling below its three-year average. The most pressing issue has been a shortage of grain to […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: Brazilian storms push U.S. corn, soy futures higher

Cold-weather concerns support wheat

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures rose on Wednesday as storms in major production areas of Brazil disrupted fieldwork, threatening to slow export shipments from one of the world’s major suppliers, traders said. “Very heavy rains remain in the forecast for Brazil’s northern soybean belt, where farmers are trying to harvest this […] Read more

Tom Vilsack speaks to farmers at a rural agricultural co-operative at Guira de Melena in Cuba on Nov. 13, 2015. (Photo: Reuters/Alexandre Meneghini)

U.S. Senate confirms Vilsack as Biden’s ag secretary

Pandemic leaves USDA 'a lot of work to do'

Reuters — The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Tom Vilsack to head the Department of Agriculture, returning the former Iowa governor to the job he held under ex-President Barack Obama. The 100-member Senate approved Vilsack 92-7. He needed a simple majority in the Democratic-controlled chamber to be confirmed. As secretary of the sprawling department, Vilsack […] Read more