John Gehrer delivers up to 1,000 litres of diesel per day with an electric car.

Searching for sustainability in agriculture

A southern Manitoba farmer’s quest for a “greener” farming system has left him with more questions than answers — and feeling a bit hypocritical

In 1888 Bertha Benz drove her homemade car on a 212-km round trip to Mannheim and Pforzheim in Germany. The fuel tank was 4.5 litres, and there were no gas stations along the way. There were probably no paved roads either and the reliability of the car was unproven. It might have been easier to […] Read more






A man is seen outside the house damaged by Russian shelling, Odesa Region, southern Ukraine. (Photo by Nina Liashonok/Ukrinform/Sipa USA)

What is war fatigue?

If the West is 'tired' of the war in Ukraine, consider the reality of Ukrainians

As we approached the end of December, my mood, like that of most Ukrainians, was not at all Christmassy. The heroic achievement of 2022, when our lives hung in the balance and our defenders managed to repel the enemy, was replaced by the bloody routine of 2023.


Grain is loaded onto ships for export at a port on the Parana River near Rosario, Argentina on Jan. 31, 2017. (File photo: Reuters/Marcos Brindicci)

Bulk ocean freight rates fall from highs despite uncertainty

Container rates have climbed higher as Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have caused diversions

The Baltic Dry Index (BDI), a major indicator of bulk shipping rates, has dropped sharply over the past month after hitting 18-month highs in early December. Meanwhile, container rates have climbed higher over the same period as attacks by Houthi militants in the Red Sea have caused many shipping companies to divert their vessels.




Photo: Thinkstock

Speculative short position hits new record in canola

Soybeans hit largest net short position since March 2020

Speculators were back adding to their large net short position in canola to start 2024, taking the bearish bet to a new record, according to the latest Commitments of Traders report from the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).