(Dave Bedard photo)

FCC’s top economic charts to monitor in 2024

Downward trends for cattle, swine herds; positive bent to feed, fertilizer affordability

As we start the new year amid elevated inflation and major headwinds facing the economy, here are our top charts to help make sense of the economic environment for farm operations, agribusinesses and food processors.



(Video screengrab from SQM.com via YouTube)

Nutrien to pause potash ramp up, ammonia project on falling prices

Potash prices have eased after the resumption of shipments from major supplier Belarus

Reuters – Nutrien NTR.TO on Wednesday decided to indefinitely pause its ramp-up plans for potash production and halt work on its clean ammonia project at Geismar, Louisiana, as the world’s biggest fertilizer producer grapples with falling prices. Its U.S.-listed shares fell 2.6% in extended trading as the company cited market conditions for stopping efforts to […] Read more

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland walk with copies of the 2023-24 budget on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 28, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Patrick Doyle)

Interest-free cash advances get extra lift in federal budget

Fertilizer diversification, solids non-fat processing also up for funding

Federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s latest budget envelope for Canadian farmers up against rising costs of production includes a temporary boost to the interest-free portion of cash advances. Freeland’s 2023 federal budget, released Tuesday, includes $13 million in 2023-24 for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to temporarily increase the interest-free limit for loans under its Advance […] Read more



CXN360 is a marketing app from Ag Exchange Network designed to help farmers get the best prices for their grain. Recently, a new tool called PXN360 was added to the app that helps farmers find the best prices on fuel.

Find the best prices on petroleum, diesel and propane

A new tool from CXN360 offers easy access to the best fuel prices

Across the Prairies, producers continue to grapple with escalating fuel prices that make it harder to farm profitably — but there could be some relief in sight. PXN360 is a new offering from the company behind the popular online grain marketplace CXN360. PXN360 (the PXN stands for Petroleum Exchange Network) is a new tool from […] Read more


An ammonia and nitrogen fertilizer plant in Russia. (Saoirse_2010/iStock/Getty Images)

Fertilizer prices to rise on global production shifts

CNS Canada — Canadian fertilizer prices are expected to increase as spring draws nearer, according to industry professionals. “The further you buy out from spring, the prices tend to be a little bit lower. In making your commitments early, prices tend to edge up as you get closer to spring,” said Don Kitson of International […] Read more

(Thinkstock photo)

Nitrogen looking cheap across Prairies

CNS Canada — Farmers in Manitoba may be looking to fill up on nitrogen fertilizer this fall as prices reach lows not seen in over a decade. “One retailer I talked to said it was the cheapest nitrogen prices in 15 years,” according to Dan Mazier, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers. Prices also seem to […] Read more