The World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on Oct. 28, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Denis Balibouse)

Canada, China agree to suspend WTO canola dispute

Lifting of canola ban renders case moot

Berlin | Reuters — Canada and China have agreed to suspend proceedings against Chinese measures affecting the importation of Canadian canola seed, according to a World Trade Organization (WTO) complaint on Thursday. The WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) panel suspended its work as of Tuesday, the complaint said. Work can be suspended at any time […] Read more



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


CBOT November 2022 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, green and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans, wheat, corn fall as traders book profits

Dispatches from crop tour limit day's losses

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybeans, wheat and corn futures fell on Thursday on a profit-taking setback after rallying earlier in the week, traders said. “We are just running into a bit of technical resistance across the board,” said Dan O’Bryan, a risk management specialist and broker at Top Third StoneX. “You […] Read more



CME October 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 40-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures firm after hitting six-week low

Chicago cattle futures weak

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures edged higher on Monday, with the market recovering after hitting its lowest in nearly six weeks on Friday, traders said. But gains were kept in check by poor exports and ample supplies of pork. Cattle futures were weaker as the market digested a report released late […] Read more

CME October 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks, right column) with 20- and 100-day moving averages (pink and brown lines) and CME cash lean hog index (black line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs fall on weak exports

Softer cash values drag on live cattle futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell on Thursday, pressured by softening wholesale pork prices and weak export demand, analysts said. “We’re going to have more supply coming at us, and that’s putting pressure on the wholesale market,” said Altin Kalo, economist at Steiner Consulting Group. CME October lean hogs fell […] Read more


CBOT December 2022 wheat (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (green line), MGEX December 2022 spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. December 2022 hard red wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat down on weak U.S. demand, Ukraine grain shipments

Economic uncertainty also curbs grain markets

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures slid for a fifth session on Thursday, pressured by soft export sales, a stronger dollar and continued exports from Ukraine, analysts said. Soybeans firmed after better-than-expected export sales last week indicated strong demand as U.S. harvest nears, while corn traded near even. Economic uncertainty also hung over grain […] Read more

File photo of a bulk port facility in Ukraine. (Olivia Sabeskaya/iStock/Getty Images)

U.N. chief seeks ‘spirit of compromise’ over Ukraine grain initiative

Deal sees 21 outbound ships so far

Lviv | Reuters — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Russia and Ukraine on Thursday to show a “spirit of compromise” to ensure the continued success of a U.N. brokered deal that enabled Ukraine to resume grain exports from its Black Sea ports. Guterres said after talks in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv that 21 […] Read more