(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Macquarie to buy Cargill’s global oil business

Houston | Reuters — Australian bank Macquarie Group is planning on buying Cargill’s global oil business, according to people familiar with the matter, marking the second energy business the global commodities trader has shed this year. Terms of the deal have been agreed upon, but the integration could take several weeks or longer, one of

Editorial: Biofuels fight

[Updated March 2, 2017]: What would a world with another five billion bushels of corn on the market look like? I am willing to bet that the grain growers among our readership just felt a small blood pressure spike at the very thought, anticipating dramatically lower crop prices. That figure represents the portion of the


Farmers, grain companies warn railways be ready to move a big crop

Farmers, grain companies warn railways be ready to move a big crop

Western production could exceed the 
five-year average

The prospects of another bumper crop this year have western Canadian grain companies and farm leaders warning the railways to be ready. They want to avoid a repeat of the colossal and costly backlog of 2013-14 when crop production set a new record by a large margin. “We know it’s going to be a big

The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) rescues children, who were the victims of child trafficking, from cocoa fields in Cote d’Ivoire in June.

The dark taste of chocolate

There are an estimated 1.5 million child labourers in Cote d’Ivoire

Arouna stands shirtless in a cocoa field in Côte d’Ivoire. The 12-year-old holds a hoe and his ribs are clearly visible under his skin. He says, “I have to get up very early each day to be the first in the field with my younger brother to start clearing (the land). I’m so tired.” Arouna

flag of China

Brace for more commodity volatility due to China

China’s real estate bubble is deflating as the economy slows

When someone asks where commodity prices are headed, they’re really asking: what’s the outlook for China? Last year, China consumed more coal than the rest of the world combined and imported 70 per cent of the world’s seaborne iron ore. In 2012, China accounted for half of the global growth in oil demand. It’s a


processing fish for caviar

Amidst an oil boom, North Dakota produces premium caviar

There is only a limited number of paddlefish that can be caught per year

North Dakota is known globally not just for prolific oil production, but also, it turns out, for caviar. A distinctly American version of the salty delicacy prized for centuries by Russian czars gets its start each May in the cool waters where the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers converge, the same spot where explorers Lewis and

Bill Whitelaw, CEO of JuneWarren Nickel’s Energy Group

Manitoba oil industry slows but won’t cease

Despite dwindling production in other parts of the country, Manitoba will still see 350 wells drilled in 2015

The current oil price slump will not have a major effect on activity in Manitoba’s oil industry, and it’s good news if you’re a buyer rather than a seller, said speakers at a recent oil industry conference here. “Low oil prices do have a positive effect for other parts of the economy. A lot of

Crude oil monthly nearby: Chart as of Nov. 27, 2014.

Crude oil falls to a four-year low

Plunging prices are casting a dark shadow across the commodity sector

At the time of this writing, crude oil has plunged $40 per barrel, losing 37 per cent of its value, since prices turned down from $107.73 in June 2014. This market’s steady decline may have come as a surprise to some followers of oil, but for those who study charting and technical analysis, they were



motor oil

Contaminated wells subject of RCMP investigation

Someone dumped motor oil into wells being developed for Pilot Mound’s water supply

Workers found a nasty surprise when they arrived at the well construction site in the RM of Argyle on October 29. Someone had poured motor oil into both wells. Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship reported the findings to the municipal office and emailed a photo of the damage. “All you could see is two well