Winnipeg has long been a centre of the Prairie grain trade, having hosted the headquarters of past and present grain handlers and traders and the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange (now ICE Futures Canada). (Canadian Wheat Board photo)

China’s COFCO Agri hiring grain traders, opening Winnipeg office

Reading Time: < 1 minute Winnipeg | Reuters –– Chinese state-owned agricultural trader COFCO Agri is opening a trading office in the Canadian grain hub of Winnipeg, adding to the aggressive expansion of its North American agriculture business. COFCO Agri is hiring three grain traders and an operations manager to expand export and domestic trading, according to the company’s postings […] Read more



(SunOpta.com)

Hedge fund urges organics firm SunOpta to sell itself

Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Hedge fund Tourbillon Capital Partners is urging Canadian organic food firm SunOpta Inc. to sell itself to a bigger rival, according to a letter sent to the company on Friday. Mississauga, Ont.-based SunOpta’s share price jumped 26 per cent after the US$4 billion hedge fund asked it to hire an investment bank to […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Saskatchewan names new deputy ag minister

Reading Time: < 1 minute A promotion for Saskatchewan’s deputy minister of agriculture leads to a promotion for one of the ministry’s assistant deputies. Doug Moen, who’s leaving his post as deputy minister to Premier Brad Wall at the end of June, on Friday announced Rick Burton as the province’s new deputy minister of agriculture, effective July 1. As the […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Improving margins support feeder market

Reading Time: 2 minutes Average western Canadian feeder cattle prices were $3-$5 above week-ago levels, with top-quality larger groups trading as much as $8-$10 higher. While current pen closeouts remain underwater, the deferred positions are somewhat brighter, which has rejuvenated buying enthusiasm. Most risk management strategies rely on cattle feeders staying in the game all year. There appears to […] Read more


Boundary Loading Group’s producer car loading facility at Darlingford, Man., about 20 km west of Morden, loads 120-130 producer cars per year. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Allan Dawson)

Window open wider for comment on CGC licensing moves

Reading Time: 2 minutes Facing “requests from stakeholders,” the Canadian Grain Commission has granted them a 12-week extension on its deadline for comments on plans to license feed mills, producer car loading sites and grain agents. The deadline, previously June 3, is now Aug. 31, the commission said in a release Friday. Input is being sought from producer railway […] Read more

(LDCom.com)

Ex-Dreyfus CEO leaves board in latest shakeup

Reading Time: 2 minutes Paris | Reuters — Global agricultural trader Louis Dreyfus Co. announced board changes on Thursday in which former CEO Serge Schoen will leave the group, another step in a leadership shakeup under main shareholder Margarita Louis-Dreyfus. Schoen oversaw rapid growth at the trading house as CEO between 2005 and 2013. Last year, Louis Dreyfus promoted […] Read more


Farm and pastureland east of Mervin, Sask. Seeding is nearing completion in northwest Saskatchewan, but lack of rain means topsoil conditions have deteriorated. (Lisa Guenther photo)

Guenther: Seeding in home stretch for dry NW Saskatchewan

Reading Time: 2 minutes Seeding is drawing to a close in northwestern Saskatchewan, largely due to warm, dry weather this month. On average, seeding in the northwest was over half done early in the week, according to the latest Saskatchewan Crop Report. Provincially, farmers are 51 per cent done, putting them miles ahead of the five-year average of 28 […] Read more

(Bayer.com)

Bayer offers to buy Monsanto in global ag chem shakeout

Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — German drugs and chemicals group Bayer AG made an unsolicited takeover offer for U.S. seeds company Monsanto, aiming to create the world’s biggest agricultural supplier and integrate pesticides and seeds markets. Monsanto disclosed the approach on Wednesday before Bayer confirmed its move, though neither gave the proposed terms. Sources said Bayer would pay […] Read more