Australian countryside near Bendigo, northwest of Melbourne. (CIA.gov)

GrainCorp to join buyer group for Australian wheat marketer

Sydney | Reuters — Australia’s GrainCorp said Wednesday it was joining a consortium that plans to acquire, then list, Western Australia’s grower-owned Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd (CBH), the country’s largest wheat exporter. The proposal is led by Australian Grains Champion, a Western Australian grower-led initiative. The acquisition would be valued at A$3 billion (C$2.96 billion), […] Read more


(Portosdobrasil.gov.br via Flickr)

U.S. grains: Prices rise on short-covering, slow loadings in Brazil

Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. soybean futures climbed to a 1-1/2-week high on Tuesday while wheat and corn each gained about one per cent, boosted by investor short-covering and a backlog of export loadings at Brazilian ports. Prices rose as trade resumed following a three-day weekend due to Monday’s U.S. Presidents Day holiday. They were […] Read more

(Country Guide file photo)

Prairie wheat bids drift down with U.S. futures

CNS Canada — Cash spring wheat bids across Western Canada edged lower in most locations during the week ended Friday, as losses in the U.S. futures weighed on values. However, basis levels saw some slight improvement in many locations, as Canadian wheat has continued to see more stable export demand compared to U.S.-origin supplies. Average […] Read more


Sunset in Egypt on the Nile River south of Luxor. (CIA.gov)

Egypt rejects Canadian wheat shipment over ergot

Abu Dhabi | Reuters –– Egypt’s agricultural quarantine authority has rejected a shipment of Canadian wheat, saying it contained traces of the fungus ergot, a trade source said and official documents obtained by Reuters showed. The move by the quarantine authority is the latest in a series of rejections, which have caused serious concerns over […] Read more

Ex-Iraq grain board chief to be investigated in graft case

CORRECTED, Feb. 20, 2016 — Baghdad | Reuters — Iraq’s acting trade minister has referred former grain board chief Saad al-Hamdani and 16 unnamed individuals for investigation over suspected transportation of illegal wheat shipments, a ministry statement said Monday. The grain board is responsible for purchasing billions of dollars worth of commodities internationally and from […] Read more


(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. grains: Exports spark gains in soybeans

Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. soybean futures rose 1.3 per cent on Thursday as the U.S. Agriculture Department’s report of stronger-than-expected exports spurred a round of short-covering, traders said. Corn futures were steady to weak, with the front-month contract settling unchanged while deferred contracts posted modest declines. Corn had fallen for six days in a […] Read more

(Stephen Ausmus photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. grains: Wheat rises on bargain buying

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures firmed Wednesday, edging higher on a round of bargain buying and short-covering a day after prices hit their lowest in nearly six years, traders said. Corn and soybean futures were close to unchanged for most of the day but closed in negative territory. A bearish […] Read more


(USDA.gov via Flickr)

U.S. grains: Wheat drops to lowest since 2010 on record supply estimate

Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. wheat futures dropped to their lowest level since 2010 after the U.S. government on Thursday said year-end global supplies would be the biggest in history. Prices crumbled as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s forecasts for record-large world wheat production and ending stocks fuelled fears about excessive inventories. Concerns about large […] Read more

(Country Guide file photo)

Prairie spring wheat bids slide lower

CNS Canada –– Cash spring wheat bids across Western Canada moved lower during the week ended Friday, as the firmer Canadian dollar and losses in U.S. wheat futures weighed on values. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat prices were down by $4-$6 per tonne over the week, according to price quotes from a cross-section […] Read more