Mississauga MP Omar Alghabra is Canada’s new federal transport minister. (Omar Alghabra video screengrab via YouTube)

Trudeau names new transport, foreign affairs ministers

Garneau to handle foreign policy; Omar Alghabra takes transport

Ottawa | Reuters — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named new ministers for foreign affairs and transport on Tuesday ahead of an election that insiders in his Liberal Party say is likely this year. Trudeau’s hand was forced when Innovations Minister Navdeep Bains, 43, unexpectedly announced he was resigning from politics for family reasons. Bains, who […] Read more

File photo of snacks, produce and assorted street food loaded on a motorbike in Bali, Indonesia. (Lina Moiseienko/iStock/Getty Images)

Canada consulting at home toward Indonesia trade deal

Possibility of broader Southeast Asian pact also looms

Continuing to seek out free trade deals in the Asia-Pacific region, Canada has launched public consultations on the merits of a potential bilateral pact with Indonesia. “Deepening trade ties with Indonesia would benefit Canadian businesses of all sizes and lead to economic growth and prosperity for years to come,” International Trade Minister Mary Ng said […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: Soybeans, corn, wheat rally

Futures up, but below recent peaks

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose 1.7 per cent on Thursday, underpinned by the strong demand highlighted in the U.S. Agriculture Department’s monthly supply and demand report on Tuesday, traders said. Corn futures also rallied, with the market receiving a boost after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it would not rule on […] Read more

(Kriste Sorokaite/iStock/Getty Images)

Grain aflatoxins lead to U.S. pet food recalls, dog deaths

Pet food maker expands recall after more than 70 dogs die, 80 sickened

Reuters — Midwestern Pet Foods is expanding a recall to include several more products sold under its Sportmix brand and other labels after at least 70 dogs died and 80 others are known to have become ill, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday. The food was found to have potentially unsafe levels of […] Read more





(Groupe Soufflet video screengrab via YouTube)

InVivo in talks to acquire French agribusiness Soufflet

Firms see limited overlap outside grain trading

Paris | Reuters — Co-operative group InVivo has entered exclusive talks to acquire family-controlled Soufflet in a deal that would create one of Europe’s biggest agricultural businesses with 10 billion euros (C$15.5 billion) in sales, the French firms said on Wednesday. The potential consolidation comes as France, the European Union’s largest agricultural producer, is trying […] Read more

CBOT March 2021 corn with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: CBOT corn touches 7-1/2-year high

Chicago wheat, soybeans down on profit-taking

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures rose 1.4 per cent on Wednesday, hitting a 7-1/2-year high with the market focused on prospects for tight global supplies after the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut production estimates for the U.S., Brazil and Argentina. “The number on corn was a game changer yesterday,” said Dan Smith, senior […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: Futures surge to highest since 2014 as USDA cuts supply outlook

Wheat futures at six-year high; corn, soy at 6-1/2 year highs

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, soybean and wheat futures surged to fresh multi-year highs on Tuesday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said 2020 U.S. corn and soy harvests were smaller than expected and stocks of key crops were thinner that previously thought. Corn jumped by as much as five per cent, while […] Read more

A soil core showing the dry layer from one- to three-foot depths. In this situation, the only plant-available water is in the top foot. Roots will not penetrate the dry layer to access the moist soil beneath. Sufficient rain must fall to wet up the dry layer before the deeper moisture comes into play.

Les Henry: Soil moisture and rain

One plus one does not always equal two

Soil moisture as a soil management issue has finally come into its own with the advent of tech savvy young folk using soil moisture probes to get real information in real time. Thanks to those who provide me with information to help make the annual, three-province, Soil Moisture Map as of freeze-up. To make a […] Read more