Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu leaves a news conference in Ottawa on March 23, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Blair Gable)

Health minister calls treatment of some farm workers a ‘national disgrace’

Ministers discussing changes to Canada's TFW program

Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa | Reuters — The treatment of migrant workers in Canada by some farmers is disgraceful and the federal government is seeking to fix the problem, the country’s health minister told a parliamentary committee on Friday, as farms battle COVID-19 outbreaks among their employees. Outbreaks of coronavirus infections have killed three people and infected hundreds […] Read more

(Twitter)

Help wanted: CGC seeks new leadership

Two top slots are open at the federal agency

Reading Time: 2 minutes If you want to be a Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) commissioner, or chief commissioner, now’s your chance. The Canadian government is advertising both positions on the CGC’s website and Twitter. Applicants must apply online for the positions, which are cabinet appointments. The deadline is Tuesday (June 30). The jobs involve lots of travel in and […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: Corn, soybeans sink on Midwest weather

Wheat plunges on technical selling, harvest pressure

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures fell for a fifth straight session on Friday on crop boosting rains across the Midwest and positioning ahead of government reports on U.S. plantings and stocks due next week. Wheat futures tumbled to contract lows, with soft red winter wheat hitting its lowest in nearly 10 […] Read more

(File photo by Laura Rance)

New declaration requirements coming up for grain deliveries

Regulatory changes also allow Canadian grades for U.S.-grown grain

Reading Time: 3 minutes Changes are afoot as early as next week for growers from all across Canada — and from the United States — who deliver grain to licensed Canadian buyers, as revised trade rules take effect between the two countries. With the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the successor trade deal to NAFTA, taking effect, new regulations addressing […] Read more


File photo of Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam at a news conference in Ottawa on April 9, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Blair Gable)

Tam seeks details on Ontario’s COVID-19 farm worker guidelines

Windsor-Essex area reports six ag-related outbreaks as of Thursday

Reading Time: 3 minutes Ottawa/Toronto | Reuters — Canada’s top public health official said on Thursday she plans to seek more information from Ontario about the province’s plan to allow some COVID-19 positive people with no symptoms to return to their jobs — a risky policy, according to workers’ advocates and some doctors. Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, issued […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn drops to six-week low

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures tumbled to the lowest in six weeks on Thursday and soybeans fell for a fourth straight day as forecasts for crop boosting rains across the U.S. Midwest reinforced prospects for bumper crops this year. Technical selling as futures fell below recent lows added pressure, sending some new-crop corn […] Read more


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

ICE weekly outlook: Canola mixed at midweek

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Canola contracts have stayed locked in a pattern for the past few trading sessions, with the July contract posting small gains and new crop year contracts showing losses. That’s mainly due to traders positioning ahead of July’s expiry date. “It’s not uncommon for the July expiry to see some spreads swing around,” said […] Read more

CBOT August 2020 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

CBOT weekly outlook: Corn, soy in ‘Groundhog Day’ mode ahead of report

Traders expect report to show more U.S. soy acres, less corn area

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Soybean and corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade are biding their time in narrow, rangebound trade, awaiting updated acreage and stocks data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture later in the month. “It’s almost like Groundhog Day,” said Terry Reilly of Futures International in Chicago, referring to the 1993 movie in […] Read more


File photo of a green soybean crop south of Winnipeg. (Dougall_Photography/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. grains: Soy, corn slump on crop weather, economic concerns

U.S. Midwest sees generally mild temperatures

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures eased for a third straight session on Wednesday and corn futures were mostly lower as forecasts for rains and limited crop-stressing heat across the Midwest farm belt bolstered production prospects. Weak outside markets also hung over grain futures, with equities and crude oil posting steep losses as rising […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

U.S. settlements not expected to change availability, labels for glyphosate, dicamba

Bayer to pay up to US$12 billion to resolve ag chem, PCB claims; company is "not contemplating" a Canadian glyphosate settlement

Reading Time: 5 minutes Updated, June 25 — Farmers in Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere shouldn’t expect any changes to availability or label directions for Bayer’s stable of glyphosate and dicamba herbicides, coming out of a massive settlement for thousands of lawsuits, the company says. The German company announced Wednesday it expects to spend up to $12 billion in […] Read more