(Dave Bedard photo)

StatsCan sees higher cattle, hog inventories at July 1

Full impacts of West's drought not yet counted

Nationwide head counts of livestock from the “early stages” of Western Canada’s ongoing drought won’t yet show the weather’s full impact, but showed slightly larger herds heading into this summer compared to last year. Statistics Canada on Monday reported the first year-over-year increase in the size of the country’s cattle herd as of July 1 […] Read more

Grain storage at a Russian seaport. (Pridannikov/iStock/Getty Images)

Tax, competition expected to prolong Russian wheat export season

Tax complicates forward sales for exporters

Moscow | Reuters — Exports of Russian wheat will stretch well into the second half of the season as Moscow’s export tax and tough competition with Ukraine and Romania slow sales until the end of 2021, traders and analysts said. Russia, the world’s largest exporter of wheat, generally sells most of its crop during the […] Read more


CBOT November 2021 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, green and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans fall on technicals, U.S. weather

Wheat, corn futures end firm

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures fell Wednesday on technical selling and forecasts for welcome rains in northwestern portions of the U.S. Midwest, but wheat and corn futures edged higher. Chicago Board of Trade November soybeans settled down 8-1/4 cents at $13.53-1/4 per bushel (all figures US$). CBOT December wheat ended up 2-3/4 cents […] Read more

CBOT September 2021 wheat (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat tumbles on profit-taking off eight-year high

Chicago corn, soy follow

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures fell more than three per cent on Tuesday in a profit-taking setback after the most-active contract reached an 8-1/2-year high last week, traders said. Corn and soybean futures followed wheat lower, with soybeans retreating from early advances despite fresh export sales of U.S. soy. Chicago Board of Trade […] Read more


Green lentils. (Savany/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Pulse trade with India strong, but flawed

MarketsFarm — India remains as the largest international buyer of Canadian lentils, despite factors affecting trade between the two countries. While Western Canada deals with drought conditions which have likely lowered this year’s lentil crop, the Indian government’s restrictions on imports have threatened to hinder Canadian exports. “Despite tariffs and technical measures in place that […] Read more




CBOT November 2021 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, green and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soybeans lower on the week

Traders look at long-term weather; wheat flat

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn and soybean futures slipped on Friday, pressured by extended forecasts calling for cooler weather into August, though hot, dry weather in the coming week across the U.S. Midwest underpinned prices. Wheat ended lower as concerns over unfavorable weather in key exporting countries countered pressure from corn and soybeans. The […] Read more


(Alkestida/iStock/Getty Images)

Durum markets reckon with weather

'There was no wiggle room for a crop problem'

MarketsFarm — The higher temperatures soared and the longer between rains in Western Canada, the lower the yield projections for most crops — and drought-tolerant durum wheat is no exception. With bids already elevated due to a downturn in potential new-crop supply, the price of durum could rise even higher. “There’s not a lot of […] Read more

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

U.S. grains: CBOT wheat snaps winning streak

Chicago corn, soybeans also fall

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soft red winter wheat futures plunged 2.6 per cent on Thursday, snapping a six-session streak of gains as traders locked in profits from the rally. Soybean futures were down two per cent, with the latest weather forecasts showing that some timely rains will arrive in key growing […] Read more