a yellow combine covered in dusty pasty gunk

Powdery mildew in 2023: a severe nuisance

At harvest, spore buildup can coat equipment, reducing visibility and creating a potential fire hazard

Ask any farmer on the Canadian Prairies which disease poses the greatest risk to their canola crops and you will likely get a list of the usual suspects that includes blackleg, sclerotinia, clubroot or verticillium stripe. One disease not likely to make that list is powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that penetrates […] Read more



Photo: iStock

Funds holding large net short in canola heading into 2024

Corn traders were covering shorts and putting on some new longs as New Year rolled in

The net short position in canola futures was sitting near its largest levels on record to end 2023, according to the latest Commitments of Traders report from the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Photo: Greg Berg

ICE weekly outlook: No reason for strong rally in canola 

Canola likely to pull back once trading gets back into full swing in New Year

There were strong gains for canola on the Intercontinental Exchange on Dec. 27, as trading resumed after being closed for Christmas and Boxing Day. However, the gain will likely not be the prelude to a major upswing in the oilseed’s prices. Rather, canola is likely to pull back once trading gets back into full swing after the New Year, according to analyst Bruce Burnett of MarketsFarm.


Leverage new technologies for canola seed selection

Leverage new technologies for canola seed selection

Q & A with an expert

Q: What do I need to consider before I try a new canola variety? A: With this year’s harvest in the bin, it’s time to look ahead to 2024. With every growing season, new technologies and opportunities emerge, so what should be taken into consideration before making the leap and trying something new?  Harvest weather […] Read more



Photo: iStock

AAFC raises canola, wheat ending stocks forecasts

Pea, barley carryout estimates raised, lentils cut in half

Glacier FarmMedia – Canadian canola and wheat carryout for the 2023/24 marketing year will likely end up above earlier projections, according to the latest Outlook for Principal Field Crops from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) released Dec. 15.




Photo: Thinkstock

China accounting for bulk of Canadian canola exports so far

Chinese wheat imports roughly half of last years' at same time

China has done most of the heavy lifting when it comes to Canadian canola exports through the first three months of the 2023/24 marketing year (Aug/Jul), according to the latest international trade data released Dec. 6. Statistics Canada reported canola exports through October at 1.566 million tonnes, with China accounting for 64 per cent of the total (1.006 million tonnes). Japan and Mexico followed at 273,300 tonnes and 196,900 tonnes respectively.