CBOT December 2020 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, wheat hit two-week lows on COVID-19 fears

Commodity selling continues dragging on grains, analysts say

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain futures extended losses on Thursday, with corn and wheat hitting two-week lows as concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic impact weighed on prices. Improving global crop weather added pressure on prices, with rains benefiting dry wheat-growing areas in the U.S. and Russia and soybean-producing regions of Brazil, traders said. […] Read more






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

U.S. grains: Crop prices slide as pandemic concerns rattle markets

Traders await U.S. export sales data Thursday

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain and soybean futures fell on Wednesday as part of a broad sell-off in markets fueled by concerns about the economic impact of a global surge in COVID-19 cases, traders said. Losses in agricultural futures pulled corn prices back from a 14-month high reached on Tuesday and soybean prices down […] Read more

Rt. Hon. Don Mazankowski (CNW Group/The Family of Don Mazankowski)

Former federal ag minister Don Mazankowski, 85

Long-time Alberta Tory MP deemed a 'minister of everything'

A private memorial is planned for long-time Alberta MP Don Mazankowski, whose work in the cabinets of prime ministers Brian Mulroney and Joe Clark included a stint as Canada’s minister of agriculture. Mazankowski, the MP for the east-central Alberta riding of Vegreville from 1968 to 1993, died late Tuesday at age 85, his family said […] Read more


(CBSA via YouTube)

Feds seek feedback on farm worker living conditions

Consultations focused on 'primary agriculture' labour stream of TFWs

Improving and standardizing living conditions for temporary foreign workers (TFWs) in Canada — specifically, those on Canadian farms — is the subject of a new round of federal consultations. Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough and Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Tuesday announced consultations are now underway until Dec. 22 with “provinces and territories, employers, workers, worker […] Read more

CBOT December 2020 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn futures fall after hitting 14-month high

Rains expected to benefit wheat crops; traders watch China to buy more U.S. corn, soy

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn futures ended lower on Tuesday after reaching their highest prices in more than a year on strong U.S. export demand. Soybean futures backpedaled after hitting their highest price since July 2016 on Monday. Wheat also slumped. Profit-taking weighed on corn after prices initially rose on a […] Read more


Husky Energy’s ethanol plant at Minnedosa, Man., about 45 km north of Brandon. (HuskyGrain.com)

Cenovus to get Prairies’ biggest ethanol maker in Husky sale

Plants can take up to 750,000 tonnes of wheat, corn, rye per year

A proposed takeover of Husky Energy by Cenovus Energy is expected to create not only Canada’s third-biggest oil and gas producer but also a new owner for the Prairies’ biggest ethanol business. The two Calgary companies on Sunday announced a friendly all-stock deal which would see Husky shareholders get 0.7845 of a Cenovus share — […] Read more

(Lightguard/iStock/Getty Images)

Saskatchewan agriculture minister cruises to election win

NDP's ag critic trailing, with mail-in votes still to come

Another incumbent agriculture minister easily held his seat as Saskatchewan’s governing Saskatchewan Party scored another decisive majority in Monday’s provincial election. David Marit, MLA for the southwestern riding of Wood River since 2016, held his seat by a spread of 5,177 votes over the New Democrats’ challenger, teacher Roger Morgan, with 459 mail-in ballots remaining […] Read more