Wine grapes are seen hanging with remnants of smoke and ash at Hanson Vineyards at Woodburn, Oregon, about 45 km south of Portland, on Sept. 17, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)

Charred U.S. west’s ‘wet ashtray’ wine grapes left to birds

Reuters — Heavy ground smoke clouded Hanson Vineyards in Oregon’s picturesque Willamette Valley for more than a week following a Labour Day windstorm that kicked up wildfires across the western United States. Jason Hanson expects his crews may only harvest five tons of grapes, including his Chardonnay and Gamay varieties, down from the 25 to […] Read more

(Greg Berg photo)

Oats values hold steady at harvest

MarketsFarm — The oats market in Western Canada is holding relatively steady despite seasonal harvest pressure, although yields failed to live up to earlier expectations. “Steady at harvest time is good,” said Scott Shiels, grain procurement merchant with Grain Millers in Yorkton. Prices often dip at harvest time due to increased deliveries, he noted, but […] Read more


Chickpeas. (CalypsoArt/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Chickpea production expected up in 2021

MarketsFarm — Following an expected 11.4 per cent drop in Saskatchewan’s chickpea harvest this year, provincial pulse specialist Dale Risula is expecting an increase in 2021. In Statistics Canada’s most recent field crop report, issued last week, chickpea production in Saskatchewan was estimated to have dropped from 224,600 tonnes in 2019 to 199,010 tonnes this […] Read more

CBOT November 2020 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy lower as harvest pressure overshadows buying

Egypt buys Russian wheat at international tender

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures ended lower on Tuesday, retreating from early strength as pressure from the expanding U.S. harvest outweighed support from continued soy sales to China and strength in soymeal futures, traders said. Corn futures drifted lower on strong U.S. crop ratings and promising Midwest harvest weather, but wheat gained on […] Read more





ICE November 2020 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola futures at two-year highs

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts climbed to their strongest levels in two years during the week ended Wednesday, but could be nearing their highs for the time being as harvest pressure should start weighing on values. “We’re running into the top end on the monthly and weekly charts,” said Jamie Wilton, senior commodity futures […] Read more

(Sakakawea7/iStock/Getty Images)

StatsCan adjusts expected corn, soy harvests upward

Satellite models predict higher yields on fewer acres

Statistics Canada’s latest batch of satellite-modelled crop data includes slightly raised expectations for Canadian corn and soybean harvests this fall. StatsCan on Monday released model-based principal field crop estimates for the period ending Aug. 31, suggesting higher soy and corn numbers than seen in its Production of principal field crops report released Aug. 31, which […] Read more



(File photo)

Feed weekly outlook: Barley finds support in lull between old, new crops

MarketsFarm — Feed barley bids in Western Canada are seeing some modest strength in early September, as old-crop supplies run out and the new crop is not yet available. “Prices have definitely gone up this past week,” said Mike Fleischhauer of Eagle Commodities at Lethbridge. Expectations for a good 2020 crop had farmers making space […] Read more