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

U.S. grains: Corn, wheat ease on firm U.S. dollar, export concerns

U.S. rail union votes against tentative contract deal

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade grain futures eased on Monday as a stronger dollar and worries about U.S. exports weighed on prices, analysts said. The dollar advanced against most major currencies, making U.S. commodities look less attractive to importers, as tightened COVID-19 rules in China fuelled worries over the global economic outlook. […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

AAFC report sees another series of tweaks

MarketsFarm — As expected, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) avoided making any major revisions to its November supply and demand estimates, waiting until Statistics Canada issues its next production report on Dec. 2. AAFC released its latest monthly report late Friday afternoon. While AAFC tweaked its November supply and demand estimates from October, most of […] Read more


BNSF crews clear track near Lemmon, S.D., about 300 km northeast of Rapid City, in late December 2016. (BNSF.com)

Biggest U.S. rail union rejects tentative deal, raising threat of strike

Union digs in on paid sick time

Washington/Los Angeles | Reuters — Workers at the largest U.S. rail union voted against a tentative contract deal reached in September, raising the possibility of a year-end strike that could cause significant damage to the U.S. economy and strand vital shipments of food and fuel. Train and engine service members of the transportation division of […] Read more

Wagyu beef on skewers at a Tokyo market. (Michal_Staniewski/iStock/Getty Images)

Feds pledge agriculture office for Indo-Pacific export support

Ottawa aims to tighten ties with region

Updated Nov. 23 — Canada’s latest round of federal efforts to boost economic ties with the Indo-Pacific region will include its first dedicated agriculture and agri-food office in the region. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tour through the region last week included a pledge of $31.8 million over five years for a regional agriculture office, to […] Read more


CBOT January 2023 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy firms on bargain buying but posts weekly decline

December wheat ends down, corn up

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose on Friday on bargain buying after a two-session slide, but still ended the week down about one per cent on uncertainty about demand from China, traders said. Wheat futures turned lower, retreating from early advances, with the benchmark December contract on the Chicago Board of Trade declining […] Read more

Drought expands across western Prairies

Drought expands across western Prairies

MarketsFarm — Drought conditions expanded across Alberta and Saskatchewan in October, with very little precipitation across the agricultural regions of the two provinces since August. That’s according to the latest Canadian Drought Monitor from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, as of Oct. 31. At the end of that month, 72 per cent of the Prairie region […] Read more


Grain ships carrying Ukrainian grain are seen in the Black Sea, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, near Ukrainian port of Odesa, Ukraine Oct. 30, 2022. (Photo: Reuters/Serhii Smolientsev)

Black Sea grain export deal extended

Deal's terms unchanged; Moscow to still seek removal of obstacles to grain, fertilizer exports

Reuters — A deal aimed at easing global food shortages by helping Ukraine export its agricultural products from Black Sea ports was extended for four months on Thursday, though Russia said its own demands were yet to be fully addressed. The agreement, initially reached in July, created a protected transit corridor and was designed to […] Read more

CBOT December 2022 soft red winter wheat (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (green line), MGEX December 2022 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. December 2022 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat sags on Black Sea export deal extension

Chicago corn turns higher

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures dropped to a 2-1/2-month low on Thursday after the United Nations announced an agreement to extend a grain corridor for exports from war-torn Ukraine. Soybean futures fell on worries about demand as top global buyer China struggles with COVID-19 lockdowns. But corn turned higher as strong weekly U.S. […] Read more


One Canada Square (tower at centre) houses the London head office of the International Grains Council. (Iliffd/iStock/Getty Images)

IGC makes small alterations to monthly report

MarketsFarm — There was very little in the way of changes in the November supply and demand report from the International Grain Council (IGC). The most notable alteration made by the London-based global organization was its four million-tonne reduction to 2022-23 wheat ending stocks, now at 282 million tonnes. The IGC lowered exports from 70 […] Read more