U.S. grocer Kroger’s plant-based burger patties are sold under its in-house brand, Simple Truth. (Kroger photo via Brandfolder.com)

Major grocers roll out plant-based burgers, undercut Beyond Meat

Reading Time: 3 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Cashing in on rising demand for imitation meat, major retailers including Kroger and Walmart recently began to carry Beyond Meat’s plant-based burgers and sausages. Now, several stores are creating similar products that will compete with Beyond Meat. Kroger Co., the biggest U.S. grocer, on Wednesday rolled out its own line of […] Read more



A canyon on China’s frontier with Kazakhstan. (Luxiangjian4711/iStock/Getty Images)

China eases customs curbs for soy imports through northern border

Reading Time: 2 minutes Beijing | Reuters — China has eased customs regulations on imports of soybean through some northern border checkpoints, the commerce ministry said, a move that could smooth the way for shipments from neighbours such as Kazakhstan, Russia and perhaps Ukraine. The changes come as China looks to diversify soybean imports amid trade tension with the […] Read more

(CHS Inc.)

Grain flow shifts from China trade war may last years, CHS says

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — The U.S.-China trade war has accelerated Brazilian efforts to erode the United States’ share of the world soybean export market, and some of the shifts in global grain flows could last for years, according to executives at CHS Inc., the largest U.S. farmer co-operative. Even with a so-called ‘Phase One’ trade […] Read more


(Ablokhin/iStock Editorial/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly outlook: Trade awaits solid details on ‘Phase One’

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — While optimism towards the ‘Phase One’ trade deal between the U.S. and China has continued, its initial impact on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) has diminished, according to one trader. “I think the biggest thing is everyone is on hold wondering, is it real? The actual terms of this [agreement] are still […] Read more

Standing corn west of Giroux, Man. on Oct. 21, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

StatsCan shows corn, soy output down across board

Reading Time: 2 minutes Despite increases in Ontario’s harvested acres for both soybeans and corn, the province’s production of both crops in 2019 followed the rest of Canada’s lower in Statistics Canada’s latest estimates. StatsCan’s November estimates for production of principal field crops, released Friday, dropped Canada’s production of soybeans to six million tonnes, down 18.5 per cent from […] Read more


KFC is testing a “chicken” sandwich and popcorn “chicken” made with a plant-based meat substitute at one of its Toronto-area stores. (CNW Group/KFC Canada)

KFC tests plant-based ‘fried chicken’ in Ontario

Reading Time: 2 minutes Fast-food chicken chain KFC is collecting feedback from a one-day, one-store test of a new Canadian-made plant-based “fried chicken” product for the Canadian market. The Canadian arm of the Yum Brands-owned chain set up a “limited” test run for what it calls KFC Plant-Based Fried Chicken at its 6055 Creditview Rd. store in Mississauga, Ont. […] Read more

CBOT December 2019 corn (candlesticks) compared against January 2020 soybeans (green line). (Barchart)

CBOT weekly outlook: Soy, corn stuck waiting on trade news

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Soybean and corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade remain in a holding pattern, waiting for concrete news on ongoing negotiations between the United States and China. Activity during the last week of November was slowing down as traders moved to the sidelines ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, with attention expected […] Read more


Vanessa Kummer checks the quality of her family farm’s 2018 soybean crops near Colfax, N.D. on Aug. 6, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Dan Koeck)

U.S. books latest end to soy harvest in a decade

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm —The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in its oilseed crops outlook issued Wednesday, said the country’s 2019 soybean harvest will wind up the latest in 10 years. As of Sunday, the overall U.S. soybean harvest stood at 85 per cent complete, according to USDA’s weekly crop progress report. The pace was two points behind […] Read more

(Lisa Guenther photo)

CBOT weekly outlook: Trade uncertainty weighs

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Lack of demand for corn exports has continued to drag prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and the U.S. dollar has been stronger recently, making exports even less attractive, according to Terry Reilly, a grains analyst with Futures International. In contrast, consistent soybean sales since Monday have provided some support to […] Read more