Crops & Production Tips

File photo of the Port of Montreal. (Guy Banville/iStock/Getty Images)

Back-to-work rule for Montreal dockworkers clears Parliament

Bill granted royal assent Friday night

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News May 1, 2021

A week-long strike by dockworkers at the Port of Montreal is expected to conclude after federal back-to-work legislation passed Parliament Friday evening. Bill C-29, introduced Tuesday in the House of Commons, cleared third reading in the Commons Wednesday and received three readings in the Senate and royal assent Friday. The port’s longshore workers, represented by […] Read more

File photo of Ontario cropland from the air. (IMNATURE/iStock/Getty Images)

Crops, Weather

Federal NDP introduces soil health bill

Proposal calls for a National Soil Health Advocate

By GFM Network News May 1, 2021

The federal New Democrats propose to set up a plan they say could help build up Canadian agriculture from the ground down. The NDP’s agriculture critic, British Columbia MP Alistair MacGregor, on Monday introduced a private member’s bill in the Commons to create a national soil health strategy for Canada. The strategy as proposed in […] Read more

CBOT July 2021 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

Crops, Markets, Reuters

U.S. grains: Corn, soy, wheat end higher after volatile week

Market assesses U.S. planting, drought threat to Brazil crops

By Christopher Walljasper, GFM Network News May 1, 2021

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn, soybean and wheat futures rose on Friday after three days of volatile trade following a run-up to eight-year highs, traders said. The most-active corn futures on the Chicago Board of Trade gained 25 cents at $6.73-1/4 per bushel, adding 40-3/4 cents for the week, a 6.4 per cent gain […] Read more

Crops, Machinery

Cost index up for CN, down for CP in grain revenue formula

CP expects lower labour costs, CN higher

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News April 30, 2021

Expected labour costs were the major difference in a new ruling on the index that determines how much revenue each of Canada’s big two railways get to keep in the coming crop year from hauling Prairie grain. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) on Thursday announced its decisions on the volume-related composite price index (VRCPI) for […] Read more

Barley south of Ethelton, Sask. on July 30, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Barley, Crops, Markets

Feed weekly outlook: Solid exports support domestic barley market

By Phil Franz-Warkentin, GFM Network News April 30, 2021

MarketsFarm — Canada has already exported more barley through the first two-thirds of the 2020-21 marketing year than in any full crop year in over a decade. That solid export pace is keeping domestic prices well supported, with an increase in seeded area in 2021-22 expected. Export data from the Canadian Grain Commission through March […] Read more

CBOT July 2021 corn (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange, green lines). (Barchart)

Crops, Markets, Reuters, Weather

U.S. grains: Corn mixed on continued liquidation, tight supply

Soybeans slide on profit-taking; wheat up as U.S. dryness expands

By Christopher Walljasper, GFM Network News April 29, 2021

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures ended mixed on Thursday as traders took profits following a strong run-up in the market, while global supply concerns offered support. Soybeans slipped as soyoil stepped back from recent highs, while wheat ticked higher as dryness expands across the U.S. Great Plains. The most-active corn futures on the […] Read more

ICE November 2021 canola (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (light yellow, dark yellow, dark green lines). (Barchart)

Canola, Crops, Markets

ICE weekly outlook: Challenging crop year ahead for canola

By GFM Network News April 28, 2021

MarketsFarm — With declines in canola following Statistics Canada’s bullish-leaning projections for acres, it’s becoming more difficult to determine which way prices will trend in coming weeks and months. “Where are prices going to go? In any given year that’s challenging, especially in this year,” said David Derwin, analyst for PI Financial in Winnipeg. “That […] Read more

CBOT May 2021 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20- and 50-day moving averages (yellow, light green lines) and May 2021 soyoil (dark green line). (Barchart)

Crops, Markets

CBOT weekly outlook: May corn, soybeans reach eight-year highs

Prices seen as indicating crop scarcity

By GFM Network News April 28, 2021

MarketsFarm — At the Chicago Board of Trade, old-crop contracts for corn and soybeans were trading at continually rising prices over the past week and one analyst believes there is a short squeeze. The May corn contract went from about $6.50 per bushel on April 22 to $7.20/bu. five days later (all figures US$). Over […] Read more

CBOT July 2021 corn with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

Crops, Markets, Reuters

U.S. grains: Corn, wheat, soybeans ease on profit-taking

Focus on weather as corn, soy stocks ebb

By Christopher Walljasper, GFM Network News April 28, 2021

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn, wheat and soybean futures eased on Wednesday on profit-taking after climbing in earlier trading as traders assessed weather risks to crops in Brazil and the U.S. The most-active corn contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) lost 10-1/2 cents to $6.44 per bushel, while the nearby May contract […] Read more

Cereals, Crops, Wheat & Chaff

Take these steps early on to prevent disease

Q & A with an expert

By Lane Blanke April 28, 2021

Q: How can I decrease the risk of early-season disease in cereal crops? A: Seeding can be a stressful time of year for many growers. It is the most important operation on any farm, as it can dictate how the entire year will turn out. It’s important for growers to make sound agronomic decisions at […] Read more

GFM Network News

U.S. livestock: Feeder cattle hit contract highs on tight supply

U.S. grains: Soybeans tumble on doubts over U.S.-China trade progress

Alberta harvest wrapping up: report

Crops