ICE May 2021 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Volatility day-to-day in bullish canola market

MarketsFarm — The ICE Futures canola market saw some large price moves during the week ended Wednesday, hitting fresh contract highs in many months before profit-taking came forward to weigh on values. With canola trading at historically high price levels, the potential volatility in the marketplace can go to extreme levels without much explanation, analyst […] Read more

CBOT March 2021 soybeans with 30-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soy, wheat fall sharply on profit taking

'We just ran out of bullish news'

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, soybean and wheat futures posted sharp losses on Wednesday on a round of long liquidation by investment funds after all three commodities rallied to multi-year highs in 2021, traders said. “We have really run this market up hard,” said Ben Buie, grain team leader at MaxYield Cooperative in West […] Read more


The forgotten plant and animal mineral micronutrients

The forgotten plant and animal mineral micronutrients

Ten nutrient minerals essential for plants and animal nutrition

How many times have you read about plants needing 16 nutrients for growth? The usual carbon, oxygen and hydrogen as well as the macrominerals nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, calcium and magnesium (N, P, K, S, Ca and Mg, respectively). This is followed by micronutrients such as boron, copper, chloride, manganese, iron, molybdenum and zinc (B, […] Read more

CBOT March 2021 corn with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn tumbles as USDA projects supplies above market expectations

USDA slashes global wheat supply as feeding to increase

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures dropped on Tuesday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projected supplies of the grain above market expectations in a monthly report, taking prices down from 7-1/2 year highs posted earlier in the day. Soybean futures rose to a three-week top on a tighter supply outlook by USDA, […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: Corn resumes climb ahead of monthly USDA report

Frigid weather in U.S. grain belt lifts wheat

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures rallied to a 7-1/2 year peak on Monday on buying ahead of a monthly U.S. government crop report that is expected to show supplies of the grain tightening amid robust demand. Soybean and wheat futures also advanced in anticipation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report scheduled […] Read more

The U-Trough auger is new from Brandt and is designed primarily for loading trucks from hopper-bottom bins.

Brandt introduces its U-Trough auger

U-shaped auger barrel improves capacity

Regina-based Brandt has recently introduced a completely new auger design to its grain-handling product line. The company claims its new U-Trough auger offers increased capacity over conventional, round-barrel augers and minimizes kernel damage. “The U-trough auger design has been around for a long time, mostly on commercial applications, but not really at the farm-gate level,” […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

StatsCan confirms canola stocks tightening

Wheat stocks also down from previous year-end

MarketsFarm — Solid demand from exporters and domestic crushers continues to eat rapidly through Canada’s canola stocks, which as of Dec. 31 were down nearly 24 per cent from the same date a year earlier, according to new data released Friday from Statistics Canada. The government agency pegged total canola stocks in the country as […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: Soybeans end lower, after rising on demand optimism

U.S. winter wheat threatened by cold weather

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures ended lower on Friday after trading higher earlier on expectations of continued export demand eating into already tight U.S. stocks. Corn futures traded slightly lower as traders assessed mixed crop prospects in South America, while wheat ticked up slightly on fears of winterkill across the U.S. southern Plains […] Read more

Crop protection and rebate programs

Crop protection and rebate programs

Q & A with an expert

Q: Should supplier rebates play a role in making crop protection decisions? A: The decision about which products growers choose for their farming operations is dependent on many factors. These factors should include product efficacy, rotational and environmental considerations and price. As an agrologist, growers often ask me, “What is the best product?” My answer, […] Read more