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Smoke rises from a wildfire near Wildwood, Alta., about 100 km west of Edmonton, on May 5, 2023. (Photo: Alberta Wildfire/Handout via Reuters)

Alberta ‘crossing fingers’ for rain amid wildfires

CN mainline traffic west of Edmonton suspended

Reuters — Firefighters were counting on rain and cooler weather forecast for Monday to help them quell a dramatic start to Alberta’s wildfire season. The province declared a state of emergency on Saturday in response to wildfires in northern and central regions that have displaced nearly 30,000 people and prompted energy producers to shut in

Grain farmer Oleksandr Klepach points at trenches in his field, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Snihurivka, southeast Ukraine.

Facing minefields and cash crunch, Ukraine farmers to sow smaller crop

As spring draws nearer, the farmers of this global breadbasket face growing challenges

Facing fields full of mines and short of cash, many Ukrainian farmers are likely to sow a smaller area this spring than they did following Russia’s invasion, in what could be a further blow to global food supplies after disruptions last year. Ukraine is a major supplier of wheat and corn to world markets. Production


Grain farmer Andrii Povod stands in front of a destroyed barn at his farm, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in Bilozerka, Kherson region, Ukraine, Feb. 20.

The soils of war

There’s a toxic legacy for Ukraine’s breadbasket from the Russian invasion

Reuters – When Ukraine recaptured Kherson in November, Andrii Povod returned to find his grain farm in ruins. Two tractors were missing, most of the wheat was gone and all 11 buildings used to store crops and machinery had been bombed and burned. The farm bears the scars of Russian shelling and unexploded ordnance riddles

A tray of black soldier fly larvae photographed in Malaysia in 2022 at Nutrition Technologies’ plant.

From ashes to fly larvae, new ideas aim to revive farm soil

New research aims to take the fight to stave off soil degradation in a promising new direction

Reuters – As extreme weather and human activity degrade the world’s arable land, scientists and developers are looking at new and largely unproven methods to save soil for agriculture. One company is injecting liquid clay into California desert to trap moisture and help fruit to grow, while another in Malaysia boosts soil with droppings from

The Mosaic Co. potash mine at Colonsay, Sask., southeast of Saskatoon. (MosaicInCanada.com)

Mosaic says stockpiles too high to restart Saskatchewan mine

Company expects Russia, Belarus 2023 potash exports at 2022 level

Winnipeg | Reuters — Fertilizer producer Mosaic Co. does not currently see the right market conditions to restart its idled Saskatchewan potash mine, with high inventories in the U.S. and Brazil and cold weather slowing trains from Canada, CEO Joc O’Rourke said Wednesday. Mosaic curtailed potash production in December at its Colonsay, Sask. mine, but


Vehicles are shown wrecked along the Highway 401/402 corridor near London, Ont. on Dec. 23, 2022. (Ontario Provincial Police photo via Twitter)

Winter storm causes havoc across Canada

Alberta ranchers shelter cattle against winds

Ottawa/Winnipeg | Reuters — Strong winds, freezing rain and heavy snowfall closed schools, cut power to homes and cancelled flights across Canada on Friday as a powerful winter storm swept across the country, prompting authorities to warn people to stay indoors ahead of worsening conditions. The storm is connected to the same freezing weather system

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

U.S. grains: Wheat plunges to three-month low on export competition

Corn also down on weak demand, soybeans rise after selloff

Winnipeg | Reuters — Chicago wheat extended losses on Friday to a fresh three-month low as modest weekly U.S. exports kept traders’ focus on competition from cheaper Black Sea supplies. Corn also fell, while soybeans rebounded, consolidating after a selloff in the previous session over disappointing U.S. biofuels levels. The most-active wheat contract on the

CBOT January 2023 soybeans (candlesticks, right column) with 20- and 100-day moving averages and CBOt January 2023 soyoil (blue line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy snaps win streak on disappointing biofuel mandates

Wheat falls on export sale data; soy weakness weighs on corn

Winnipeg | Reuters — Chicago soybeans fell on Thursday, snapping five days of gains as soybean oil sold off sharply after the U.S. government proposed smaller-than-expected biofuels blending requirements. Wheat slid on disappointing export sales, while soybean weakness dragged corn lower. The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) settled down 39-3/4


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

U.S. grains: Wheat rises on short-covering, China optimism

Wheat still lost nearly 10 per cent in November; soybeans rise on fresh China sales, corn down

Winnipeg | Reuters — Chicago wheat rose for a second straight session on Wednesday, supported by end-of-the-month short-covering and investor hopes that China will loosen COVID-19 rules, although the grain declined sharply in November on competition from Black Sea supplies. Soybeans also ticked up, touching a two-month peak, as optimism that China will ease restrictions

CBOT March 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat inches higher on hopes China will ease COVID-19 measures

Corn slips on export demand concerns

Winnipeg | Reuters — Chicago wheat finished slightly higher on Tuesday after the previous day’s three-month low, as investors saw hope that China would ease measures to counter COVID-19 infections after rare protests in the country unsettled markets a day earlier. Soybeans also gained on optimism about China, but corn dipped over concerns about export