A file photo of cargo ships and harbour cranes in the Ukrainian port of Kherson on the Dnieper River. (Ioanna_alexa/iStock/Getty Images)

Ukraine shuts ports as conflict threatens grain supplies

Moscow/Kyiv | Reuters — Ukraine’s military has suspended commercial shipping at its ports after Russian forces invaded the country, an adviser to the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff said, stoking fear of supply disruption from leading grain and oilseeds exporters. Russia earlier ordered the Azov Sea closed to the movement of commercial vessels until further […] Read more

An ammonia and nitrogen fertilizer plant in Russia. (Saoirse_2010/iStock/Getty Images)

Vilsack hopes fertilizer firms don’t take advantage of Ukraine crisis

Washington | Reuters — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Thursday he hoped fertilizer and agriculture supply companies affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine would not take unfair advantage of the situation, amid already-high fertilizer and crop prices. Fertilizer costs have soared due to rising demand and lower supply as record natural gas and […] Read more


Buhler Industries board member Konstantin Babkin, shown here at left with the company’s then-president Dmitry Lyubimov during a visit to the company’s facility in Winnipeg in 2007, is seen as particularly vulnerable to sanction from Canada. (File photo by Dave Bedard)

Equipment maker Buhler distances self from Ukraine invasion

A Winnipeg farm equipment manufacturer is distancing itself from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Buhler Industries, which manufactures the Versatile tractor line and Farm King equipment, is majority-owned by the Russian firm Combine Factory Rostselmash. That firm purchased an 80 per cent stake in Buhler in 2007 and boosted that to 97 per cent ownership in […] Read more

ICE May 2022 canola (candlesticks) with 20- and 50-day moving averages (yellow and dark green lines). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola finding plenty of support

MarketsFarm — ICE canola futures climbed to fresh contract highs during the week ended Wednesday, as activity in outside markets and canola’s own tight supply situation provided support. “Outside forces help it, but there are also things unique to the canola market that are supportive,” said David Derwin, commodities investment advisor with PI Financial in […] Read more



Photo: iStock/Getty Images

With fertilizer costs high and seed scarce, U.S. farmers turn to soy

'These prices are just crazy'

Chicago | Reuters — North Dakota farmer Jennifer Meyer typically devotes at least 20 per cent of her 2,500-acre farm to corn, which provides a convenient feed for the cattle she raises with her husband. But this year she is looking to find another crop for those 500 acres near Wilton as she has been […] Read more


CBOT May 2022 wheat (candlesticks) with K.C. May 2022 wheat (yellow O/H/L/C) and MGEX May 2022 wheat (orange O/H/L/C). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat, soybeans touch nine-year peaks

Concerns about disrupted Black Sea region exports lift markets

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures climbed to a more than nine-year peak on Wednesday and corn notched a fresh eight-month high as escalating Russia-Ukraine tensions threatened to disrupt supplies from the key Black Sea grain-exporting region. Soybean futures rallied to a 9-1/2 year peak as the conflict also put Black Sea sunflower oil […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Saskatchewan forage rainfall insurance to adjust for hot spells

SCIC also expanding crop roster for contract price option

Saskatchewan forage and corn growers whose crops are insured against below-normal rainfall can expect a beneficial bump starting this year if those crops get cooked in high heat. The Saskatchewan and federal governments on Tuesday announced details for their 2022 crop insurance program — under which average coverage is expected to reach $405 per acre, […] Read more


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

Pulse weekly outlook: Four factors to consider before going with peas

MarketsFarm — There are four factors to consider before deciding whether to plant dry peas this spring, according to Darryl Domitruk, executive director of Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers at Carman, Man. The first is field selection, as peas need to be planted with less residuals such as nitrates, Domitruk said. “Pulses manufacture their own […] Read more

(JohnnyMad/Getty Images)

Rising prices could lead to more mustard acres

MarketsFarm — A further tightening in Canada’s mustard supply is the main culprit in recent price spikes for the seed. Yellow mustard in Western Canada has a high-delivered bid of $1.61/lb., up 10 cents from last month and $1.18 higher than last year, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire data. Over the past month, the high-delivered […] Read more