CBOT July 2020 corn with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn trims gains on technical selling

Wheat slides as harvests face decreased demand; soybeans drop on down meal market

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn futures ended slightly lower on Tuesday after a day of positive trading after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported decreased crop conditions due to recent hot weather across the western corn belt. Wheat slid as winter harvests continue, while soybeans remained lower as weak soymeal trade overwhelmed gains […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

No timeline yet set for BRM reforms

Changes put on hold along with ministers' meeting

Ottawa — Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has confirmed any reforms to business risk management (BRM) programs are being delayed. That confirmation came during a wide-ranging media availability Bibeau held Tuesday. In March, Tom Rosser, an assistant deputy minister at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), said the government is looking at a number of options […] Read more


(File photo by Dave Bedard)

ICE weekly outlook: Attention on weather after short-covering rally in canola

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts have recovered off of lows hit at the beginning of the month, with speculative short-covering a feature as attention in the markets turns to North American growing conditions. While canola ran into some resistance Wednesday, there may still be more room to the upside. Canadian canola is at a […] Read more

Asian giant hornets have noticeably large orange heads and black eyes; worker hornets are about 3.5 cm in length; queens can be up to four to five cm in length, with a wingspan of four to seven cm. (B.C. Ministry of Agriculture)

More ‘murder hornets’ found in B.C., Washington

Findings suggest some were able to overwinter

Reuters/Staff — Officials in British Columbia and Washington state have confirmed new sightings of the Asian giant hornet, dubbed the “murder hornet,” indicating the invasive, predatory insect survived the winter in the Vancouver area and U.S. Pacific Northwest. The stinging hornet, whose queens can grow as large as 2-1/2 inches in length, could potentially pose […] Read more



CBOT July 2020 corn with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, wheat up as weather, currency spark short-covering

Hong Kong row tempers hopes of China demand for U.S. soy

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures jumped on Thursday to a five-week high as a weaker dollar, forecasts for hotter, drier weather in the Midwest corn belt and a further rebound in ethanol production triggered bargain buying and short-covering by managed funds. Wheat futures also rallied on expanding dryness across the Plains wheat belt […] Read more


CBOT July 2020 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans firm on slowed planting progress

Wheat rangebound as Northern Hemisphere weather watched

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures firmed on Wednesday as a slowdown in plantings in the Midwest and forecasts for more disruptive weather lifted prices to two-week highs, although technical selling kept a lid on gains. Corn also edged higher after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported slower-than-anticipated planting in a weekly crop […] Read more



Ag Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau speaks at Cigi in Winnipeg on March 13, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

CEBA expanded to farms, other ‘owner-operated’ businesses

Program offers zero-interest, partly-forgivable loans

Farms and other “owner-operated” businesses with little or no payroll may soon be able to get in on a federal program offering zero-interest loans to businesses up against pandemic-related drops in revenue. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday announced an expansion of eligibility under the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) to also include “sole proprietors […] Read more

Soybeans in Ontario, June 2016. (Ralph Pearce photo)

Ontario stretches production insurance deadlines

Three already-passed deadlines bumped to June 1

Ontario farmers who missed their April 1, May 1 and/or May 10 deadlines for production insurance filings now have until June 1 to enroll or make coverage changes. Agricorp, the provincial farm program delivery agency, announced the extension Thursday. The extension gives farmers the “time and flexibility to make business decisions and to assess their […] Read more


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