China has boosted its wheat imports from Canada in the wake of the U.S.-China trade war, Ivy Li says. (MarketsFarm photo by Glen Hallick)

Grain World: Beijing analyst brings different perspective

Saskatoon | MarketsFarm — Ivy Li brought a much different perspective about China to the Grain World conference in Saskatoon. Specializing in Chinese agricultural markets, the Beijing-based independent analyst veered away from the usual statements that often cast China as the bad guy on the world stage. Also, Li pointed out, Canada has been doing […] Read more







Choosing the best canola hybrid

Choosing the best canola hybrid

Q & A with Nutrien Ag Solutions

Q. What should I think about when choosing a canola variety? A. Consider the following key factors: herbicide system, field selection, crop rotation, crop fertility and harvest management. First, consider your herbicide options: Roundup Ready, TruFlex, LibertyLink or Clearfield. Many seed companies now offer a broad choice. Think about the features of each system. For […] Read more


Unharvested canola under snow in October 2016. (Lisa Guenther photo)

Millions of acres of canola freeze, compound ‘harvest from hell’

Winnipeg | Reuters — Heavy snow and rain during harvest on the Canadian Prairies have left several million acres of canola buried until spring, the latest blow in a miserable year that may compound farmer problems into 2020. Canola is renowned as Canada’s most profitable crop, exported to China, Japan and Mexico to make vegetable […] Read more

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Fund traders hold steady in canola

MarketsFarm — Commodity fund traders are maintaining a steady short position in ICE Futures canola, according to the latest commitment of traders (CoT) report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The net managed money short position in ICE Futures canola came in at 53,576 contracts on Tuesday, steady with the previous week. Open […] Read more



Recent Australian canola seed varieties grown. Data source: Syngenta analysis, presented in 2019.

Fighting blackleg Down Under

Australia's battle to hold back blackleg has had its share of success

Speakers at Syngenta’s launch of Saltro, a new seed treatment, explained that Australian farmers have a different, more conservative approach to blackleg. In 1973, said Steve Marcroft from Marcroft Grains Pathology in Australia, “blackleg completely destroyed the crop.” For 15 years after that, there was very little canola grown in Australia. In the late 1980s, […] Read more