Australian countryside near Bendigo, northwest of Melbourne. (CIA.gov)

GrainCorp to join buyer group for Australian wheat marketer

Reading Time: < 1 minute Sydney | Reuters — Australia’s GrainCorp said Wednesday it was joining a consortium that plans to acquire, then list, Western Australia’s grower-owned Co-operative Bulk Handling Ltd (CBH), the country’s largest wheat exporter. The proposal is led by Australian Grains Champion, a Western Australian grower-led initiative. The acquisition would be valued at A$3 billion (C$2.96 billion), […] Read more

(Country Guide file photo)

Prairie wheat bids drift down with U.S. futures

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Cash spring wheat bids across Western Canada edged lower in most locations during the week ended Friday, as losses in the U.S. futures weighed on values. However, basis levels saw some slight improvement in many locations, as Canadian wheat has continued to see more stable export demand compared to U.S.-origin supplies. Average […] Read more


Sunset in Egypt on the Nile River south of Luxor. (CIA.gov)

Egypt rejects Canadian wheat shipment over ergot

Reading Time: 2 minutes Abu Dhabi | Reuters –– Egypt’s agricultural quarantine authority has rejected a shipment of Canadian wheat, saying it contained traces of the fungus ergot, a trade source said and official documents obtained by Reuters showed. The move by the quarantine authority is the latest in a series of rejections, which have caused serious concerns over […] Read more

Ex-Iraq grain board chief to be investigated in graft case

Reading Time: < 1 minute CORRECTED, Feb. 20, 2016 — Baghdad | Reuters — Iraq’s acting trade minister has referred former grain board chief Saad al-Hamdani and 16 unnamed individuals for investigation over suspected transportation of illegal wheat shipments, a ministry statement said Monday. The grain board is responsible for purchasing billions of dollars worth of commodities internationally and from […] Read more



(Canada Beef Inc. photo)

Buyers eating up Lethbridge feed barley

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada –– Lethbridge feed barley prices have strengthened on bargain buying, according to one market watcher, while demand for feed wheat is steady at best. Lethbridge barley prices have increased from $200-$205 in January to $205-$215 in February, as the grain becomes more difficult to source, said Jim Beusekom, president at Market Place Commodities. […] Read more


(Country Guide file photo)

Prairie spring wheat bids slide lower

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada –– Cash spring wheat bids across Western Canada moved lower during the week ended Friday, as the firmer Canadian dollar and losses in U.S. wheat futures weighed on values. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat prices were down by $4-$6 per tonne over the week, according to price quotes from a cross-section […] Read more

Sunset in Egypt on the Nile River south of Luxor. (CIA.gov)

Egypt to accept wheat with 0.05 per cent ergot

Reading Time: < 1 minute Cairo | Reuters — Egypt’s agriculture ministry will allow wheat imports with up to 0.05 percent levels of ergot, a common grains fungus, it said on Feb. 3, reversing a zero tolerance policy that prompted traders to boycott the state’s wheat tender this week. The supply ministry and the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) […] Read more


Oats (pictured) and barley will be two crops that enjoy a renaissance in the coming years, thanks to a renewed interest, a revitalized research initiative, and new varieties.

New in spring cereal crop varieties

Developments in the public breeding sector are generating excitement in spring cereals

Reading Time: 2 minutes The world of spring cereals may never be the same in Eastern Canada, especially in the next few years. In the past 12 months, two new positions have been filled within the public breeding sector, with new breaders at the University of Guelph and at Agriculture and Agri-Food’s Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre (AAFC-ECORC) […] Read more

(Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Higher oat stocks expected, CBOT futures weak

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) oats are relatively weak, but fairly priced from where one U.S. analyst sits — and traders are looking to an upcoming Statistics Canada report for indication on where to move next. “Just looking at the market in general, oats are somewhat cheap, but right now I think […] Read more