Merit’s fall may create small setback in Manitoba pea market

Merit’s fall may create small setback in Manitoba pea market

The sale of the cash-strapped processor won’t be finalized until the end of May, at least

Manitoba farmers may see reduced opportunity to sell peas this year, as the fate of protein ingredient processor Merit Functional Foods remains undetermined until at least the end of the month. “Then the question is, do I continue to grow peas or do I switch to another crop. That’s a decision that the growers have probably made by now,”

Star Wars and grain markets

Star Wars and grain markets

Expert’s Radar: Divergence from established patterns isn’t common, but it happens

“This is the way.” If you’ve watched The Mandalorian, you’ve heard the phrase many times. I can’t speak to all the Star Wars lore, but it’s an enjoyable program perhaps best described as cowboys in outer space. The central Mandalorians of the show follow their own strict honour-bound creed, centred on the armour they wear


There’s little doubt the abundance of oilseeds in the world market will weigh on prices.

Total oilseed production eases back

USDA sees major drop in some production areas, but stays steady on Canadian canola

REDUCTIONS USDA sees major drop in some production areas, but stays steady on Canadian canola

Production of the world’s oilseeds was trimmed back by the United States Department of Agriculture last week, which forecast 625.38 million tonnes for 2022-23 in its world markets and trade report. In March, the USDA pegged global production at 629.89 million tonnes. But despite the reduction in April, it’s still a significant increase from the

ICE July 2023 canola with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Weather to influence canola price movement

Short-covering seen supporting front months for now

MarketsFarm — Canola contracts on the ICE Futures platform held relatively rangebound during the week ended Wednesday, trading within a $20 per tonne range in most months as market participants wait to get a better handle on new-crop prospects. “There’s some concern developing on seeding delays,” said Jamie Wilton of RJ O’Brien in Winnipeg, adding


The difference between a dry year and one with timely moisture is dramatic in the brown soil zone. Joseph McKee’s 2020 crop (shown in late July) yielded 65 bushels an acre while the dry conditions last year (photo taken in early July) produced a 20-bushel-an-acre crop on his Lethbridge-area farm.

Palliser Triangle: It’s hot and dry — and the next frontier for canola

With crush capacity soaring, canola council looks to the brown soil zone and new heat-tolerant varieties

Glacier FarmMedia – The canola industry has its eyes on the Prairies’ most inhospitable regions and knows potential growers will need support. The Canola Council of Canada is setting up research it hopes will drive sustainable canola growth in the brown soil zones of the Palliser Triangle, one of the hottest, driest regions of the Prairies. With canola

File photo of a rapeseed field in India. (Amlanmathur/iStock/Getty Images)

India’s rapeseed output to be steady

El Nino may be a spoiler

MarketsFarm — Rapeseed production in India has been forecast to remain quite consistent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) attaché in New Delhi. The attaché projected rapeseed production for 2023-24 to hold at 11.5 million tonnes, the same in 2022-23. USDA’s official numbers placed India as the world’s No. 4 producer of rapeseed,


As always, the weather remains a key market moving factor to watch.

The 30,000-foot view

A flight home from holiday provided time to ponder markets

After being repeatedly thwarted by the pandemic, I finally made it to Mexico for a family vacation recently. Hot temperatures, cool drinks, and not a thought of the commodity markets — until the flight home. Crop report There’s not much to the crop report from above 30,000 feet. Most of the southern United States looked

Recent price drops hide wheat’s weather situation

Recent price drops hide wheat’s weather situation

Southern U.S. winter wheat-growing areas remain in drought

As the calendar turned over to April, the focus for traders on the Chicago Board of Trade turned toward weather. There can be a tendency to either react based on recent weather events, ignore potential long-term weather trends, or both. In the case of wheat, the recent weakness shown in all three major U.S. varieties


ICE November 2023 canola with Bollinger bands (20,2) and May 2023 canola (black line). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: New-crop November canola set to step back

StatCan not expected to sway futures much

MarketsFarm — There is presently little upside to new-crop November canola on ICE Futures, according to analyst Errol Anderson of ProMarket Communications in Calgary. Anderson pointed to losses in Malaysian palm oil and weakness in China’s soymeal market as weighing on ICE canola values, with more pressure coming out of South America. “The [soybean] production

Before applying any crop protection product, read the label to find the application rate, timing and pre-harvest interval.

Keep it Clean: More than just good advice

Program a “one stop shop” for ensuring grain marketability

Market access issues in general are becoming a bigger issue globally, according to Ian Epp, an agronomy specialist and market access and pesticides lead with the Canola Council of Canada. “We see more scrutiny under those things.” Why it matters: International market standards can be a mess to detangle, and present a nasty surprise if