Louis Dreyfus’ oilseed processing plant at Yorkton, Sask. (LDC.com)

Louis Dreyfus to gain first outside investor

Abu Dhabi's ADQ fund to acquire indirect 45 per cent stake

Paris | Reuters — Louis Dreyfus Co. (LDC) has agreed to sell a 45 per cent stake to Abu Dhabi’s ADQ, the companies said on Wednesday, the first outside investment in the family-owned commodity merchant’s 169-year-old history. The deal comes after a search by chairwoman Margarita Louis-Dreyfus for an investor to relieve debt built up […] Read more

CBOT January 2021 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybean futures surge again to new four-year high

USDA cuts corn, soybean yield estimates

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures soared to a fresh four-year high on Tuesday and corn topped a one-year high after the U.S. Department of Agriculture said stockpiles this marketing year will fall to their smallest in seven years. The forecasts, issued in a monthly crop report, reflected a decline in […] Read more


Smoke rises from the site of burning railcars at a CP derailment near Guernsey, Sask., on Feb. 6, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Nayan Sthankiya)

New rail speed limits to be based on temperatures

Railways wanting to run under new limits must develop winter operation plans

Given the odds of weird temperature swings happening somewhere in Canada at any time of year, railways will now instead be required to slow their trains’ speeds based on how cold it is outside at the time, rather than a date range. Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau on Friday announced a new ministerial order meant […] Read more

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

U.S. grains: Soy futures touch new four-year top

Pfizer update on COVID vaccine sends shares, oil higher

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures reached a new four-year high on Monday as the first successful data from a late-stage COVID-19 vaccine trial fueled hopes of the economy recovering quickly from the pandemic-driven crisis. Broad optimism about Pfizer’s vaccine trials added support to a soybean market already buoyed by strong Chinese demand and […] Read more


Trent Wotherspoon, shown here speaking in Regina in 2012, is the provincial NDP’s new critic for agriculture and Saskatchewan Crop Insurance. (TrentWotherspoon.com)

Saskatchewan gets new ag critic, returning ag minister

David Marit, Trent Wotherspoon to handle farm file

Saskatchewan’s New Democrats will have a new critic to debate the incumbent minister over the agriculture file. Provincial opposition leader Ryan Meili on Tuesday announced Trent Wotherspoon, the MLA for Regina Rosemont since 2007, as the NDP’s critic for agriculture as well as finance, SaskTel, Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. (SCIC) and the province’s Crown Investments […] Read more

CBOT January 2021 soybeans (candlesticks) with ICE January 2021 canola (yellow line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans hold near four-year high

Focus shifts to Tuesday's USDA report to gauge tightening supply

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures held near a four-year high on Friday as Brazilian dryness and strong demand from leading importer China kept the market focused on the prospect of tightening supplies. Corn and wheat dipped but were underpinned by weather risks and Chinese-fueled international demand. The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago […] Read more


The declaration applies to all the commonly grown grains, as well as most pulse and oilseed crops.

New grain declaration one more liability issue

Signing is a regulatory requirement under the Canada Grains Act

A new declaration Prairie grain farmers need to sign this fall as they deliver grains, oilseeds and pulse crops to the elevator looks simple enough, but farmers should be aware signing it is now a regulatory requirement that comes with legal consequences if someone messes up with deliveries. It is unlikely, or perhaps even rare, […] Read more

(PortMetroVancouver.com)

Baltic Dry Index at four-month lows

Declining demand seen from China

MarketsFarm — Ocean freight rates have fallen off of their highs of the past year over the course of the past month, but remain well above the lows hit in the spring when global markets first started reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Baltic Dry Index (BDI), a major indicator of shipping rates, has moved […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: Soybeans reach four-year high on global supply concerns

Corn, wheat rise to one-week highs

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures reached four-year highs on Thursday as continued dryness in South America’s crop areas raised supply concerns at a time of brisk Chinese demand. Corn and wheat hit their highest in more than one week on strong demand and supply concerns. The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board […] Read more