Reginald Conyers, a traveling busker, plays the trumpet outside a Safeway while people observing social distancing wait in line to enter the store  in Oakland on March 20, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Kate Munsch)

Panic buying, lockdowns may drive world food inflation

World has ample grain and oilseed supplies, FAO and analysts say

Singapore | Reuters — Lockdowns and panic food buying due to the coronavirus pandemic could ignite world food inflation even though there are ample supplies of staple grains and oilseeds in key exporting nations, a senior economist at FAO and agricultural analysts said. The world’s richest nations poured unprecedented aid into the global economy as




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

U.S. grains: Wheat, soy rise after export deals

Corn sags on ethanol woes

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean and wheat futures rose on Friday, supported by a pick-up in Chinese demand for U.S. commodities, traders said. But corn closed lower, giving up early gains with traders shrugging off a massive sale to China to focus on expectations for a weakened ethanol market as crude


The Hiram Walker distillery at Windsor, Ont. (CNW Group/Corby Spirit and Wine Communications)

Distilleries make sanitizers to meet pandemic demand

COVID-19 sparks demand for hygiene products

Toronto | Reuters — Some Canadian distilleries and breweries have started producing hand sanitizers alongside alcoholic drinks as the rapid spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus stokes demand for hygiene products. The move comes after Health Canada this week relaxed rules on the sale of hand sanitizers, disinfectants and protective equipment on a temporary basis to



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

U.S. grains: Recent declines stoke export interest

CBOT May corn, soy, wheat all rally

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, soybean and wheat futures rallied on Thursday, supported by technical buying and hopes for a pick-up in export demand as recent price declines made U.S. supplies more attractive to overseas buyers. Corn was bouncing off the near 3-1/2-year low it hit on Wednesday after a rout in the energy

(Alexey Rezvykh/iStock/Getty Images)

No delays expected in fertilizer distribution

National fertilizer association doesn't expect any disruptions to deliveries

Should farmers expect delays to fertilizer deliveries heading into spring seeding? “Not if we can help it,” Fertilizer Canada CEO Garth Whyte said Thursday.”We’ve weathered all the rail system disruptions that we had over the last six months, and now, with COVID-19, we’re doing OK. “We’ve put contingency plans in at our manufacturing plants, at



Canada Malting’s processing plant in Montreal. (CanadaMalting.com)

GrainCorp’s global malting spinoff gets shareholders’ blessing

Canada Malting to go to new owner, United Malt Group

Shareholders in the Australian owner of Canada’s biggest malt company have voted nearly all in favour of a spinoff for their worldwide malting assets. During their general meeting Monday in Sydney, participating shareholders in GrainCorp voted over 99 per cent in favour of resolutions which will see the company’s malt business become a standalone ASX-listed