Farmer Brian Derksen seeds wheat on May 2, 2017 near Miami, Man., about 80 km south of Portage la Prairie. (Screengrab from Allan Dawson video)

Trade, weather top of mind for 2019 acres

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — As Canadian farmers start thinking about what to plant next spring, global trade patterns and weather will play into decision making. “It’s very difficult to decide where this all is going. That obviously also has implications on where the futures prices go and what signals the farmers are taking from that,” said […] Read more

(VBacarin/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. grains: Soybeans edge upward, still await promised Chinese buying

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures edged higher on Tuesday on hopes that a U.S.-China trade war truce over the weekend would result in fresh Chinese demand for U.S. soybeans, although no deals have been confirmed. Corn also firmed slightly, following soybeans, while wheat ended mixed on light demand. At Saturday’s G-20 meeting in […] Read more






U.S. President Donald Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue participate in a farmers’ roundtable event April 25, 2017 at the White House. (Video screengrab from WhiteHouse.gov)

China’s action on tariffs uncertain, USDA’s Perdue says

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — China will probably resume buying U.S. soybeans around Jan. 1 because of limited supplies in South America, after halting purchases due to the trade war between Washington and Beijing, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Monday. However, it has “yet to be determined” whether China will remove tariffs on imports […] Read more


CME February 2019 live cattle, with 20-day moving average. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures up slightly

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures closed modestly higher on Friday on short-covering after a four-session slide and concern that wintry weather in the central Plains in the coming days could slow cattle weight gain, traders said. Lean hog futures were mixed as traders awaited news on U.S.-China trade talks expected this weekend as […] Read more

CBOT March 2019 wheat, with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat, soy, corn climb

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures rose about 1.5 per cent Friday on firming cash markets, analysts said, while soybeans and corn firmed ahead of hotly anticipated U.S.-China trade talks at this week’s G20 summit in Argentina. The G20 meeting is to include head-to-head discussions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi […] Read more


An ammonia and nitrogen fertilizer plant in Russia. (Saoirse_2010/iStock/Getty Images)

Fertilizer prices to rise on global production shifts

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Canadian fertilizer prices are expected to increase as spring draws nearer, according to industry professionals. “The further you buy out from spring, the prices tend to be a little bit lower. In making your commitments early, prices tend to edge up as you get closer to spring,” said Don Kitson of International […] Read more