Photo: Zbynek Pospisil/iStock/Getty Images

Precipitation does little for Prairie drought relief

Most areas dryer than a year ago, drought monitor shows

Reading Time: 2 minutes While much of the Prairies received above-normal amounts of precipitation during the month of February, the additional moisture did little to alleviate dry conditions according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Canadian Drought Monitor (CDM).

(Dave Bedard photo)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola prices could rebound

'There's nothing all that exciting to look at'

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Winnipeg-based trader Ken Ball from PI Financial is cautiously optimistic that canola prices can rebound in the short term. The January canola contract closed at $702.30 per tonne on Wednesday a weekly loss of $7.40. The contract fell below the $700 level on U.S. Thanksgiving on Nov. 23, a day with little volume. […] Read more


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'

Reading Time: 2 minutes 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 […] Read more

(Thinkstock photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Bids ease off

U.S. wheat futures turn lower

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Bids for western Canadian wheat were down all around for the week ended Thursday, with Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) wheat having the largest losses. U.S. wheat futures were lower as export sales continued to be weak. For the week of Nov. 3-9, 176,300 tonnes were sold for export, down 50 per cent […] Read more


ICE January 2024 canola with 20-day moving average (yellow line, right column) and CBOT January 2024 soybeans (green line, left column). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Soy complex supporting canola

'Canola has been largely pulled up'

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Amid falling crude oil prices, canola prices are staying strong, largely due to the Chicago soy complex, according to a Calgary analyst. Errol Anderson of ProMarket Communications has been impressed with canola’s recent rise. The January contract on ICE Futures was as low at $672 per tonne on Nov. 2 before rising to […] Read more

File photo of wheat under snow. (Ssvyat/iStock/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly outlook: Demand, not interest rates, affecting markets

U.S. Fed decision 'pretty much factored in'

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — While key interest rates in the United States will stay put for the time being, corn and wheat prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) declined steadily during the week ended Wednesday. The U.S. Federal Reserve announced earlier Wednesday that the central bank’s policy rate will remain within 5.25 and 5.5 per […] Read more