A barley crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on July 30, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Australia reaches deal with China in barley dispute

Trade shift may be 'bad news' for Canada and other exporters

Sydney/Beijing | Reuters — Australia has reached an agreement with China to resolve their dispute over barley imports, the two countries said on Tuesday, a latest sign of improving ties between the major commodity trade partners. Relations between the two had been strained for years, and worsened after Australia called for an inquiry into the

Louis Dreyfus’ oilseed processing plant at Yorkton, Sask. (LDC.com)

Louis Dreyfus expanding Yorkton canola crush plant

New expansion would more than double plant's capacity

Louis Dreyfus’ Yorkton, Sask. canola crushing plant is about to undergo another major expansion. The project, announced Tuesday, is expected to add an additional canola crushing line and more than double the plant’s annual capacity to over two million tonnes upon completion. Construction is due to begin later this year. The crush plant, built in


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Demand surges for grass cattle

Barley, corn expected to be cheaper next fall

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3-$4 on either side of unchanged. Certain auction markets did not have sales due to the shortened holiday week. Adverse weather also shuttered some sales on Wednesday and Thursday in the eastern Prairie region. Southern Alberta feedlots are contending with poor pen conditions which may

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Canola fund short position shrinking

Managed money is net long on corn, soy

MarketsFarm — Managed money fund traders continued to cover their large short positions in canola in early April, according to the latest Commitments of Traders report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). As of April 4, the net managed money short position in canola futures came in at 49,470 contracts (70,671 short; 21,201


CBOT May 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, MGEX May 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. May 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat closes higher on dry weather, Russian threats

Markets await monthly supply and demand report from USDA

Mexico City | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures were higher on Monday, as dry weather put Kansas City wheat at risk and Russia’s threat to bypass a UN-brokered grain deal underpinned prices, traders said. Corn also closed higher, though soybeans dipped as warm and dry weather improved the planting outlook in the United States, analysts

(Screengrab from Merit Functional Foods video via YouTube)

Bidding open for Merit Foods for two more weeks

Stakeholder Burcon plans to put up 'compelling bid'

The fate of Winnipeg pea- and canola-based protein processor Merit Functional Foods won’t be confirmed until the end of April at the earliest. Merit, whose major shareholders include Vancouver plant-based protein firm Burcon NutraScience, U.S. agrifood firm Bunge and former executives of Hemp Oil Canada, was placed into receivership March 1. According to the first


CME June 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Sizzling cash cattle prices ignite rally in CME futures

April hogs up, June down

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures leapt to contract highs on Thursday as cash prices soared, stoking concerns about tightening U.S. supplies. Meatpackers had to be aggressive in the cash market, brokers said, after ranchers have reduced their herds due to high feed costs and drought in the western U.S. Cattle

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Barley prices still historically high, but face headwinds

Bulk corn delivery remains more convenient

MarketsFarm — Feed barley bids in Western Canada remain historically strong, despite easing off their highs over the past month and trending lower. With bids of around $410 per tonne into the Lethbridge feedlot alley, feed barley “is still a sell,” according to Mike Jubinville of MarketsFarm, speaking on a webinar. However, he noted there


CBOT May 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Crop futures slide on disappointing export sales, improved weather

Traders adjust positions before Easter weekend

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade grain and soybean futures crumbled on Thursday on disappointing U.S. export sales and an improved weather outlook for U.S. spring plantings, analysts said. U.S. soybean export sales for 2022-23 were 155,300 tonnes for the week ended March 30, down 42 per cent from the prior four-week average,

Corn in progress just east of Blumenort, Man. on July 20, 2022. (Dave Bedard photo)

After growing GM corn for decades, some U.S. farmers open to Mexican restrictions

Biden administration seeks to challenge ban

Chicago | Reuters — Mexico has found unexpected allies as it tries to limit imports of genetically modified (GM) corn: some U.S. farmers who grow the crops. Farmers have for decades planted GM corn, which protects against insects and herbicides, with seeds sold by companies such as Bayer, Corteva and ChemChina’s Syngenta. But as believers