Siddika Mithani — shown here in an illustration from a series of “superhero trading cards” published in 2022 featuring CFIA researchers and staff — has retired from her post as CFIA president. (CFIA via Twitter)

CFIA president retires

NFU calls for next agency boss to prevent 'regulatory capture'

Canada’s federal regulator for the food and animal and plant health sectors is in the market for a new president following the incumbent’s retirement. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed its president, Dr. Siddika Mithani, has retired from the federal public service effective Jan. 20. Mithani has led CFIA since February 2019, having served […] Read more

ICE March 2023 canola with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola trading window lowered

A crude oil downturn would pressure canola, loonie

MarketsFarm — The ICE Futures canola market posted steady losses for five sessions, testing the lower edge of their well-established trading ranges before finally uncovering some support on Wednesday. The losses did damage from a chart perspective, with the activity bumping the trading window lower, according to an analyst. “Overall, both on old- and new-crop, […] Read more



The Mosaic Co. potash mine at Colonsay, Sask., southeast of Saskatoon. (MosaicInCanada.com)

Mosaic says stockpiles too high to restart Saskatchewan mine

Company expects Russia, Belarus 2023 potash exports at 2022 level

Winnipeg | Reuters — Fertilizer producer Mosaic Co. does not currently see the right market conditions to restart its idled Saskatchewan potash mine, with high inventories in the U.S. and Brazil and cold weather slowing trains from Canada, CEO Joc O’Rourke said Wednesday. Mosaic curtailed potash production in December at its Colonsay, Sask. mine, but […] Read more


File photo overlooking the marina and sea wall at Half Moon Bay, about 30 km south of San Francisco. (JasonDoiy/E+/Getty Images)

Suspect in California farm worker shootings appears in court

Early evidence suggests workplace grievance, authorities say

Redwood City, Calif. | Reuters — A California farm worker accused of shooting seven people to death near San Francisco, some of them his co-workers, made his first court appearance on Wednesday after he was charged with murder in the state’s second deadly gun rampage in recent days. Chunli Zhao, 66, the lone suspect in […] Read more

CBOT March 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average (green line), MGEX March 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. March 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat futures rise on Ukraine war concerns

March corn sags, March soybeans up

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures rose on Wednesday on concerns that any intensification of Russia’s war on Ukraine could clog the export pipeline from those two major exporters. “I think the market is trying to price in an increasing likelihood that an escalation … turns into a European theatre war,” said Mike Zuzolo, […] Read more


CME February 2023 lean hogs with 20- and 50-day moving averages and CME cash lean hog index (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures hit lowest since late 2021

Ballooning supplies an issue; cattle futures mixed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures fell to their lowest in more than a year on Wednesday, with plentiful supplies and weak export demand weighing on prices, traders said. Cattle futures were mixed, with nearby contracts easing while deferred contracts firmed on concerns about low animal weight. February lean hog futures ended […] Read more

CME February 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures firm even as feed prices weigh

Lean hogs end lower, pork packing margins up

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures were mixed on Tuesday as soybean and grain prices firmed, traders said. Live cattle and feeder futures were able to continue Monday’s price bump. But the higher feed prices weighed on the beef market, as did questions over consumer and export demand, StoneX chief commodities economist […] Read more


CBOT March 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average (green line), MGEX March 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. March 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line), (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago wheat, corn climb after weather pressure

Investor optimism on economy helps underpin grains

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat and corn futures firmed on Tuesday, supported by investor optimism after easing a day earlier on precipitation in both Argentina and the U.S. Plains. Soybean futures began the day firmer but failed to maintain support as forecasts in South America call for more rain. The most-active wheat contract on […] Read more

File photo of a chickpea crop in India. (Nikhil Patil/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Chickpea prices up ahead of India harvest

Early outlook calls for more Canadian acres in 2023

MarketsFarm — Western Canadian chickpea prices are still on the rise while prices for other pulse crops are coming down as supply increases. High-delivered bids for Kabuli and B-90 types of chickpeas rose four cents per pound over the past week, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire on Jan. 23. As a result, the nine- and […] Read more