Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Feed barley bids held firm through November in Western Canada, with higher prices for deferred delivery as feedlots work to secure supplies in the face of solid export demand. Spot feed barley bids in the Lethbridge, Alta. area have held in the $270-$275 per tonne range through November, said Jim Beusekom of Market […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Barley bids firm as feeders seek coverage through spring
Pulse weekly outlook: Strong demand supporting pea prices
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — There has continued to be a strong demand for peas, as demonstrated by data from the Canadian Grain Commission. And that has been supporting price increases, according to Marlene Boersch of Mercantile Consulting Venture Inc. in Winnipeg. “The overall demand has been very, very good,” she said. In the most recent export data […] Read more
Loblaw beats profit estimates as online sales surge
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — Loblaw beat quarterly revenue and profit estimates on Thursday, driven by a near-fourfold jump in online sales, as stay-at-home Canadians used the retailer’s pickup and delivery services to stock up on bread, milk and eggs. With consumers still limiting their trips outdoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said it would invest […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Canola under pressure at midweek
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Canola contracts have received considerable pressure from outside sources, but held above $480 per tonne this week. Ken Ball of P.I. Financial in Winnipeg expected canola to be down by $6-$10, but nearby contracts closed lower by about a dollar at $483.60 per tonne. Ball referred to weakness in Chicago soyoil, along with […] Read more
Agri-food tech expected to be a post-pandemic growth industry
Ag, food sectors may seek out more e-commerce, labour-saving tools
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ottawa — A researcher at the University of Guelph says the COVID-19 pandemic will spark agility – particularly related to technology – in agriculture. “(The pandemic) has re-emphasized the need to get access to some of the technology that exists in other sectors and are not easily accessible in agri-food systems,” said Rozita Dara, an […] Read more
Plummeting french fry sales have potato growers re-evaluating
Restaurant closures slash demand, though 'chip sales have been great'
Reading Time: 2 minutes French fry sales are down across North America as tens of thousands of restaurants have closed during COVID-19, meaning the potato industry has to adapt quickly. Companies that turn potatoes into french fries, wedges and hash browns are slowing down, because there isn’t enough space to store all the frozen product. In Alberta and Manitoba, […] Read more
Safety protocols in place for farmers’ grain deliveries
Grain moving as normal, but farmers need to practice social distancing when delivering to elevators
Reading Time: 3 minutes Grain deliveries to country elevators should continue without any disruptions, the executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association says. “All of the members of the Western Grain Elevator Association are doing everything in their power to keep the grain supply chain functioning” during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Wade Sobkowich said Tuesday. “That means we’ll […] Read more
Prairie elevators’ staff aim for on-site distancing
Cargill, P+H elevators stay open but with arm's-length approach
Reading Time: 2 minutes At least two Prairie grain handling firms plan to continue taking deliveries from farmers during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic — but to make the process as touchless as possible. Cargill, in a email to customers Wednesday, said its Canadian grain elevators, crush plants and ag input retail sites will remain open for deliveries and pickups, […] Read more
Visible canola supplies largest in three years
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Solid farmer deliveries into the commercial pipeline saw visible Canadian canola supplies hit their highest level in three years, according to the latest Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) data for the week ended Sunday. Total visible supplies of the oilseed came in at 1.584 million tonnes, which was the highest of the marketing year-to-date […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat hits one-month top on firm cash markets
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures climbed to a one-month high on Monday on firm domestic cash values and signs of rising global cash prices, traders said. Corn futures followed wheat higher but soybean futures fell, with the benchmark January contract hitting its lowest level in more than two months. Chicago Board of Trade […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
