(Flaman Group video screengrab via YouTube)

Farm groups push for Bill C-234 passage

Ag groups concerned that carbon tax exemption bill won’t clear Senate before break

Prairie farm groups are pushing the Senate to prioritize a bill that would exempt propane and natural gas for grain drying and barn heating from carbon tax. In a joint statement June 13, Keystone Agricultural Producers, the Alberta Federation of Agriculture and the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan urged the Senate to pass Bill C-234 […] Read more

Liberia-flagged bulker K Sukret, carrying grain under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, waits for inspection in the southern anchorage of Istanbul on May 17, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Mehmet Emin Caliskan)

Black Sea grain shipments shrink amid Ukraine deal doubts, Cargill exec says

'Grey/black' fleet seen handling more Russian traffic

London | Reuters — South American grain exports are set to overshadow Black Sea shipments this year as doubts grow over a U.N.-backed Ukraine deal and international traders cut commercial activities in Russia, a top executive with major commodities group Cargill said. The Black Sea grain deal, which allows the safe passage of grains through […] Read more


CBOT July 2023 corn with Bollinger bands (20,2) and December 2023 corn (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soy, wheat set multi-month highs on weather worries

U.S. markets closed Monday for Juneteenth

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, soybean and wheat futures all closed higher on Friday and all set multi-month highs during the session as worries about stressful dry conditions in key portions of the Midwest prompted a flurry of buying ahead of a three-day holiday weekend, analysts said. “We have an issue here in the […] Read more

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Bayer settles with New York over Roundup safety claims

Company blocked from advertising product as non-toxic

New York | Reuters — Bayer agreed on Thursday to pay US$6.9 million to settle claims by New York Attorney General Letitia James that it misled consumers by advertising Roundup, which has been linked to cancer, as environmentally safe. The settlement resolves accusations that Bayer and its Monsanto unit failed to substantiate their repeated claims […] Read more


CBOT July 2023 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soy futures soar on dry weather worries

Chicago July wheat also higher

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures hit their highest levels in nearly two months and soybeans hit a one-month high on Thursday as forecasts for continued dry weather in portions of the Midwest crop belt raised concerns about yield prospects, analysts said. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) wheat futures surged about five per cent […] Read more

File photo of storm clouds over northeastern Alberta. (ImagineGolf/E+/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast: Alberta low looks to dominate

Forecast issued June 14, covering June 14-21

So far, the weather models have been doing a good job with the medium-range forecasts, only falling off late in the forecast period. Of course, in the summer, short-range forecasts can be difficult, especially when it comes to just when and where thunderstorms will develop. I always find it interesting that a forecast could be […] Read more


ICE July 2023 canola with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola will follow soyoil up or down

Prairie weather another guiding factor

MarketsFarm — Although canola prices have been somewhat erratic over the last weeks, they along with other oilseeds have generally rebounded, according to trader Ken Ball of PI Financial in Winnipeg. Ball commented there has been a good amount of short-covering in soyoil at the Chicago Board of Trade, as markets positioned themselves for an […] Read more

CBOT July 2023 corn with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soy, wheat futures sag on demand worries

U.S. winter wheat harvest adds seasonal pressure

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures and nearby soybean futures fell on Wednesday, backing down from multi-week highs, as traders weighed fears of flagging demand for grains and other commodities against worries about dry Midwest weather curbing crop prospects, traders said. Wheat futures sagged on profit-taking after a four-session advance and seasonal pressure from […] Read more


File photo of barley being unloaded at a grain terminal in Ukraine on June 23, 2022. (Photo: Reuters/Igor Tkachenko)

Ukraine’s farm output could take 20 years to recover, study suggests

Some crop sectors may recover more quickly

Kyiv | Reuters — Ukraine’s agricultural sector could take 20 years or more in parts to recover from the ravages of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to a Kyiv-based research centre. Ukraine is a major global grower and exporter of wheat, corn, sunflower and sunflower oil, but its production has fallen sharply since the war start […] Read more

Viterra’s oilseed crush plant at Becancour, Que. (Viterra.com)

Bunge deal for Viterra to boost oilseed dominance, renewable diesel potential

Canada's Competition Bureau pledges to review deal

Chicago | Reuters — Bunge’s planned acquisition of Viterra would make the world’s biggest oilseed crusher even more dominant and secure a larger role in the expanding renewable diesel industry, although it may face competition hurdles. Under the deal to create an agricultural giant worth about $34 billion including debt, Bunge’s crushing capacity will increase […] Read more