A display of civilian vehicles destroyed in the war in Kyiv.

From Ukraine: Civilian cars and ancient farm machinery

[FIRST PERSON ]Ukraine’s history of making do pays off in wartime as farmers support the war

Ukraine’s agriculture is diverse and so is the equipment on Ukrainian farms. Near my town, a German-made NEXAT transformer unit is working in the fields and is one of few in the world. It’s a massive all-in-one machine that handles every step in crop production: spring cultivation, seeding, crop protection and harvesting. While this is the cutting edge, you’ll

A vessel is seen arriving at Odesa in southern Ukraine under the Black Sea Grain Initiative on April 12, 2023.

Insurers, Ukraine launch war-risk ship insurance

Program announced in effort to cut grain costs

Reuters – Insurance broker Marsh, Lloyd’s of London insurers and Ukrainian state banks have launched a program to cut the cost of claims for damage to ships and crew transporting grain through the Black Sea corridor, Marsh said Nov. 15. Kyiv launched a “humanitarian corridor” in August for ships bound for Africa and Asia to


A soybean field north of St. Adolphe, Man. on Sept. 17, 2023. (Dave Bedard photo)

CBOT weekly outlook: The three main factors affecting soybeans

'Here at $13.60, we're 70 cents overpriced'

MarketsFarm — Soybean prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) are being pulled by three main factors, according to a trader. Ryan Ettner from Allendale Inc. in McHenry, Ill. explained that erratic weather in Brazil and Argentina is having a major effect on soybean prices, as well as Chinese demand for U.S. soybeans and

File photo of sunset over port facilities at Odesa. (Mixarde/iStock/Getty Images)

Ukraine could fail to meet future wheat demand if attacks continue, UN agency warns

Report shows 31 attacks on grain facilities since mid-July

United Nations | Reuters — The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday that Ukraine’s wheat production may be unable to meet domestic and export demand in the years to come if Black Sea export routes remain blocked and attacks on food infrastructure continue. WFP’s Ukraine director, Matthew Hollingworth, said a forthcoming report



Photo: Reuters/Ben Nelms/File

IGC raises world crop projections

If realized, the world wheat crop will the second largest on record

Projected worldwide wheat, corn and soybean production in 2023/24 was raised by the International Grains Council in its latest update, with better-than-expected corn yields in the United States and larger Black Sea wheat crops behind the adjustment.


Russia eyes eastern trade routes

Reuters – Russian President Vladimir Putin called for the development of wheat and fertilizer cargo transport routes in Asia during a visit to Kazakhstan Nov. 9 as Moscow looks for export routes due to Western sanctions.  Chairing a conference on agricultural co-operation with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Putin said Russia would have about 60 million

A display of civilian vehicles destroyed in the war in Kyiv. Photo: Aleksandr Gusev/SOPA Images/Sipa USA via Reuters

Ukrainian farmers’ history of making do pays off in wartime

First person: over the past 20 months, hundreds of thousands of civillian vehicles have passed through the crucible of war

The technical arsenal of farmers who cultivate small acreages is extremely varied. They have small tillers to which trailers are attached, and tiny, sometimes homemade, tractors. Sometimes you can even see a small field being plowed with the help of horses. We still have horse-drawn carts, although this is rare. In my town, there is only one horse left. My friend keeps him at home as a pet. In his youth, my friend worked at a stable and retained his love for horses.