(Commercial Port of Vladivostok, vmtp.ru)

Baltic index slips to fresh low, demand concerns persist

Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — The Baltic Exchange’s main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships carrying industrial commodities, slipped to another all-time low Tuesday on worries about vessel oversupply and slowing global demand. The overall index, which gauges the cost of shipping dry bulk including iron ore, cement, grain, coal and fertilizer, fell four points or […] Read more

The Big River Resources ethanol plant at West Burlington, Iowa, about 120 km southwest of Davenport. (Steven Vaughn photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Cruz’s Iowa victory could show Big Corn’s waning influence

Reading Time: 3 minutes New York | Reuters — U.S. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz’s victory on Monday in corn-rich Iowa could represent a major blow to the country’s controversial biofuels program, reflecting its waning influence over politicians even in the U.S. farm heartland. Cruz, a conservative senator from Texas and outspoken opponent of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

StatsCan stocks report to add piece to supply/demand puzzle

Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada — The supply/demand balance sheets for Canada’s wheat, barley and canola crops will likely see some adjustments after Statistics Canada’s stocks report is released Thursday. The report on grain and oilseed stocks as of Dec. 31, 2015 will provide a better indication of feed usage to date, while also helping confirm the official […] Read more

Iran banning all state wheat imports

Reading Time: < 1 minute Dubai | Reuters –– Iran banned state imports of wheat for a year starting on March 20, Tasnim news agency reported on Monday, ordering officials to stop registering new purchase orders. “There is no need for wheat imports in coming year. Please avoid registering any order for wheat (imports) from this date,” Iran’s minister of […] Read more


(CN.ca)

CN to challenge latest grain revenue penalty

Reading Time: 3 minutes Ordered to hand over more than $7 million in Prairie grain handling revenue and related fines for the 2014-15 crop year, Canadian National Railway now plans to challenge the bill in court. Montreal-based CN on Monday filed in the Federal Court of Appeal, seeking leave to appeal the Canadian Transportation Agency’s (CTA) Dec. 29 finding […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Workers wanted: Agribusiness sector hiring

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — More people have applied for jobs in Canada’s agribusiness sector as of late, according to an industry researcher, but some agricultural sectors still face a critical labour shortage. “People have said that they have received more resumes this year than in previous years,” said Debra Hauer, project manager at the Canadian Agricultural […] Read more


(DowAgro.com)

U.S. court upholds Enlist Duo registration

Reading Time: 2 minutes An appeals court has rejected the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) move to overturn its own registration for Dow AgroSciences’ Enlist Duo herbicide combo. The EPA in November had sought court approval to withdraw its previous registration for the proprietary glyphosate/2,4-D combination. The agency said it wanted to re-examine the product, which Enlist varieties of […] Read more

(Commercial Port of Vladivostok, vmtp.ru)

Russia now expected to leave grain tax scheme intact

Reading Time: 2 minutes Moscow | Reuters — Russia, one of the world’s largest wheat exporters, is not expected to change its current regime of taxes on grain exports, sources said on Friday, following proposals to change them. Concerns over the possibility of tougher limits on Russia’s foreign sales of wheat sent global prices to a one-month high earlier […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

CP cuts raise worry over potential slowdown

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada –– Canadian Pacific Railway’s decision to cut 1,000 jobs has caught the attention of two Prairie farm leaders. Norm Hall, president of Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, worries the move is short-sighted and may catch up with the railway in months and years to come, when commodity prices catch fire again. “You dump […] Read more

(Country Guide file photo)

Lower loonie helps farmers, but only so much

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — The slumping price of oil continues to weigh on the Canadian dollar, while at the same time providing a boost to Canadian grain prices. Out-of-country buyers tend to more attracted to Canadian grain and wheat when the loonie is low, as they can get more product for their money. However, one market […] Read more