File photo of a pea crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: Large Canadian crops expected

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Canada will have grown a record-large pea crop in 2020 and possibly the second-largest lentil crop ever, according to preliminary estimates from Statistics Canada, released Monday. Using satellite imagery and model-based yield estimates, the government agency pegged the 2020-21 Canadian field pea crop at 4.996 million tonnes. That would be a new record […] Read more

CBOT December 2020 wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago wheat up on export hopes

Corn hits one-week low, soybeans steady

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures leaped to a five-month high on Tuesday on hopes for increased export sales, while corn and soybeans consolidated amid lingering uncertainty about the size of upcoming harvests in the Midwest. Weakness in the U.S. dollar helped support gains in wheat prices, traders said, because a soft dollar makes […] Read more


A corn crop west of Grunthal, Man. on Aug. 17, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

StatsCan predicts more corn, less soy in 2020 harvest

Fewer acres but higher yields predicted

Reading Time: 2 minutes Statistics Canada’s latest round of expectations for the 2020 harvest calls for more corn and less soy than in 2019, with higher yields offsetting lower planted acres for both crops. In its Production of principal field crops report, using information from July — based on models created using satellite technology — StatsCan on Monday called […] Read more

CBOT November 2020 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans touch two-year high on dry weather

Wheat up with prices in Russia, Ukraine

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures hit their highest prices in more than two years on Monday before paring gains, as dry weather in parts of the U.S. Midwest is expected to damage the condition of crops, analysts said. Wheat futures set a four-month high, while corn futures retreated after touching their highest price […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Wheat crop to be second-largest on record, StatsCan predicts

Canola estimate at lower end of trade predictions

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Canada’s farmers will have grown their second-largest wheat crop on record in 2020, according to the first production estimates of the year from Statistics Canada, as released Monday. The government agency pegged total wheat production in the country for 2020-21 at 35.74 million tonnes, up 10.5 per cent on the year and second […] Read more

(Country Guide file photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Gains for CWRS, CPSR as durum drops

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Wheat bids in Western Canada were higher for Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) and Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) wheats the week ended Thursday. However, prices for Canada Western Amber Durum (CWAD) dropped. Support came from significant increases in Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City wheat futures, but a stronger Canadian dollar held back […] Read more


CBOT November 2020 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy up for fifth day on weather concerns

Exports support CBOT corn

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures rose for the fifth day in a row on Friday, closing near a 7-1/2-month high on persistent concerns that the U.S. crop will fall short of expectations, traders said. Corn futures closed firm, shrugging off early weakness due to strong export demand while wheat futures […] Read more

Artist’s rendering of the Merit Functional Foods plant under construction in Winnipeg. (Merit Foods graphic)

Bunge buys into canola, pea protein maker Merit

Agribusiness giant takes quarter stake in processor

Reading Time: 2 minutes One of the world’s biggest grain companies is getting in on a processing facility under construction in Winnipeg to extract plant-based proteins from canola and peas. Winnipeg-based Merit Functional Foods announced Thursday it has received a $30 million “capital investment” from Bunge, giving the U.S. grain firm a “minority interest” worth 25 per cent. Burcon […] Read more


(Jack Dykinga photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Seed groups weigh options as CSGA rejects merger

Grower group's membership calls nay on Seeds Canada amalgamation

Reading Time: 2 minutes The boards of five national seed sector groups planning a major merger are considering their next move after a less-than-unanimous vote on the proposal. Members of the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC), Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA), Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) and Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) had […] Read more

A barley crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on July 30, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Feed weekly outlook: Grain prices soften into fall

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Old-crop feed grain prices are converging with new-crop and coming under some seasonal pressure. “As we get closer to new crop, we’ve been seeing the switch to new-crop prices from old-crop,” said Erin Harakal, a senior trader with Agfinity in Lethbridge. Feed barley prices are around $195-$200 per tonne delivered in the Lethbridge […] Read more