A sunflower crop north of St. Adolphe, Man. on Sept. 19, 2021. (Dave Bedard photo)

Manitoba’s sunflower crop smaller, better

Global supply, demand outlooks remain uncertain

MarketsFarm — If Canada’s 2022 sunflower seed harvest is to be the lowest in five years, you wouldn’t know it talking to producers of the crop. In its July satellite image-based principal field crops estimates released Monday, Statistics Canada projected sunflower seed production for the 2022-23 marketing year at 61,996 tonnes, 24.2 per cent lower […] Read more

CBOT December 2022 corn (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn down on recession fears, profit-taking

Corn falls off two-month top; soy, wheat also down

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, wheat and soybean futures fell on Tuesday, joining broad declines in commodities and equity markets as traders fretted about the health of the global economy. Profit-taking also weighed on corn futures, a day after the benchmark December contract notched a two-month high linked to declining U.S. crop production prospects. […] Read more


CME October 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures climb on bargain-buying

CME lean hogs also higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rose on Tuesday on bargain-buying, a day after the October contract hit a 3-1/2 week low, traders said. A setback in prices for corn, a key feedgrain, added support. But rallies were capped by broad declines in commodities, including crude oil, and Wall Street equity […] Read more

(File photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Initial drought list ready for 2022 livestock tax deferrals

Much of Manitoba, southern Alberta designated for 2022

Many of the Prairie livestock producers forced by drought to make “difficult herd management decisions” in the 2022 income tax year are now eligible to defer the taxable income from those decisions. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Tuesday released the initial list of designated regions in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan where livestock tax deferral […] Read more


File photo of a pea crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: StatCan shows big jump in pea, lentil production

MarketsFarm –– The Canadian pulse harvest appears to be making a comeback after production struggled with a historic drought in Western Canada last year. Statistics Canada (StatCan) released its July satellite image-based principal field crop production estimates on Monday, projecting sharp increases in production for most of Canada’s crops, including pulses. Canada’s dry pea harvest […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder markets digest StatCan data

Barley crop expected up 34 per cent on year

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded steady to $2 higher. Yearling prices have strengthened by $8-$10 over the past four weeks. Calf values were relatively unchanged but the market was hard to define due to limited volumes. Alberta packers were buying on a dressed basis from $300 to $302 delivered, up $1-$2 […] Read more


CME October 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures soften amid recession fears

CME lean hogs close higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and feeder cattle futures weakened on Monday amid spillover pressure from weakness in equity markets, analysts said. U.S. stocks closed lower, adding to sharp losses last week, on nagging concerns about the Federal Reserve’s determination to hike interest rates to fight inflation even as the economy […] Read more

CBOT December 2022 corn (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn hits two-month high on heat, dryness concerns

Soybeans ease as crop tour sees large U.S. harvest

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn futures set a two-month high on Monday after a U.S. crop tour last week found damage from hot, dry weather and organizers projected harvests would fall short of government estimates. Wheat futures rallied to their highest level in about seven weeks, while soybeans fell after the […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Canadian crop production bounces back, StatCan reports

Wheat at higher end of trade projections

MarketsFarm — After 2021’s historic drought on the Prairies caused crop production to fall to historic lows, the 2022 harvest has mostly bounced back to pre-drought levels, according to Statistics Canada. StatCan on Monday released its July 2022 satellite image-based principal field crop production estimates, which confirmed analysts’ expectations that this year’s crop production would […] Read more

CBOT December 2022 corn (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and dark green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn up on crop tour’s lowered expectations

Hot, dry weather seen limiting U.S. corn, soy yields

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn and soybean futures jumped on Friday on concerns about hot and dry weather reducing U.S. yields, analysts said. After the close of trading, advisory service Pro Farmer projected a U.S. corn harvest of 13.759 billion bushels, which would be the smallest since 2019 and below government […] Read more