CNS Canada — The quality of Canada’s 2014 canola crop is down slightly on the year, according to early harvest data compiled by the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC). With 1,132 samples received as of Wednesday, approximately 88 per cent of the canola samples were graded as No. 1. That compares with 93.7 per cent of […] Read more
CGC data suggest canola quality down slightly on year
Profitable U.S. feedlots buy more cattle in September
Chicago | Reuters — The number of cattle placed in U.S. feedlots in September increased one per cent from a year ago, a government report showed on Friday. Analysts attributed the gain in part to continued profits by feedlots that allowed them to purchase more young calves, or feeder cattle, to fatten. The U.S. Department […] Read more
U.S. grains: Markets sink from highest levels in at least six weeks
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain and soybean futures tumbled Friday as traders booked profits after prices climbed to their highest level in at least six weeks. Soybeans retreated from a session high above US$10 a bushel amid expectations that rains next week will improve planting conditions in Brazil, the world’s top exporter of the […] Read more
Blast, fire hit Dreyfus’ Sask. canola plant
Reuters — An explosion and fire on Friday morning rocked Louis Dreyfus Commodities’ canola-crushing plant at Yorkton, Sask., but the fire was later extinguished, a city official said. The explosion occurred around 9:30 a.m. CT and firefighters put it out later in the morning, City of Yorkton spokesman Roy Lanaway said. Brant Randles, president of […] Read more
ValueAct buys stake in fertilizer dealer Agrium
Reuters — Activist hedge fund ValueAct Capital on Friday disclosed it had bought a 5.7 per cent stake in Agrium, one and a half years after the Canadian fertilizer and ag retailer maker won a proxy battle aimed at breaking up the company. Agrium’s shares jumped nearly seven per cent in morning trading in New […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle pare initial gains before USDA report
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures settled lower on Friday, pressured by profit-taking ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle-On-Feed report, traders said. Most analysts expect Friday’s report at 2 p.m. CT to show placements of cattle in U.S. feedyards likely grew last month compared with a year ago. […] Read more
PotashCorp hurt by fall in income from overseas investments
Reuters — Saskatchewan-based PotashCorp has narrowed its full-year earnings forecast range and reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit as income fell from its overseas investments. The price of potash has plunged year over year, triggered by the breakup last year of trading partnership Belarusian Potash Co. that created more competition among producers. PotashCorp, the world’s biggest […] Read more
Ukraine appeals to WTO over Russian ban on fruit, vegetable imports
Kiev | Reuters –– Ukraine has complained to the World Trade Organization (WTO) about a decision by Russia to ban imports of fruit and vegetables from the country, the agriculture ministry said Thursday. The ban, which came into force Wednesday, was the latest trade barrier erected by Russia in a trade and sanctions war linked […] Read more
Critics of Dow’s Enlist line suing U.S. EPA over approval
Reuters — A coalition of U.S. farmer and environmental groups filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to overturn regulatory approval granted last week for an herbicide developed by Dow AgroSciences. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in California, argues that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not adequately analyze […] Read more
Man. soybeans likely to sit in storage until new year
CNS Canada — The bulk of Manitoba’s soybean crop may be off the field but isn’t likely headed to market anytime soon, according to an analyst. Local elevators are filling up “incredibly fast” with crops such as wheat and oats, “so soybeans may or may not have bin space at some of these elevators,” said […] Read more