On the morning of Dec. 30, the nearby January canola contract apparently hit a new all-time high.  Photo: File

Another volatile holiday week for grain markets

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm – As trading is most often volatile between Christmas and New Year’s, this week did not disappoint. Canola pretty much ran the gamut, swinging higher one day, falling back the next. During the overnight session that ended on the morning of Dec. 30, the nearby January contract apparently hit a new all-time high when […] Read more

The Chicago Board of Trade building on May 28, 2018. (Harmantasdc/iStock Editorial/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly outlook: All quiet on the CBOT front

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm – The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is typically a time for the markets to slow down, and at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), that’s certainly the case. At approximately 10:50 a.m. CST, the volumes for both the highly-traded March corn and soybean contracts did not exceed 78,000, while a typical […] Read more


Photo: File

Pulse weekly outlook: Transport issues, cold weather may affect prices

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm – While significant price movement for pulses has been hard to find as 2022 approaches, major impacts can still be felt when it comes to supply chains. “This time of year, it is very quiet for farmers, processors, exporters, shipping and everything overall,” said Lionel Ector, president of Diefenbaker Spice & Pulse (DSP) in […] Read more

Despite real challenges, Australia posted multiple sales wins in major markets around the world.

More competition for Canada from Down Under

Australia has learned how to grow its grain exports. Is Canada paying attention?

Reading Time: 5 minutes I remember one Christmas Eve walking in minus 38, and then a week later saw the mercury hit plus 46 on New Year’s Day. Such are the outcomes of a 14-hour plane journey between Canada and Australia. But despite the different weather, I will tell anyone who will listen that Australia and Canada have much […] Read more


Photo: Rezowan/Wikimedia Commons

Mustard supply crunch fuels price spikes

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm – As the world’s largest producer of mustard, a sharp decline in Canadian production has already made a major impact on supply and prices. Despite an increase in seeded acres, Canada’s mustard production dropped 28 per cent to 71,000 tonnes for the 2021-22 marketing year, according to Statistics Canada’s September crop report. Of the […] Read more



Photo: Canstock

Canadian canola oil content well below average

Reading Time: < 1 minute Canada’s hot and dry growing season in 2021 cut into the oil content of the country’s canola crop, with preliminary data pointing to the second-lowest oil content of the past two decades. Preliminary sample data compiled by the Canadian Grain Commission shows average oil content for number one quality canola in 2021/22 at 41.9 per […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: U.S. corn filling Canadian feed shortages

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm – As winter approaches, corn is making up a greater appearance in feed channels, supplanting barley and wheat in the process. “In Western Canada, the yields were significantly lower than average. So we’re importing a lot of feed into Western Canada, mostly corn and corn with DDGs (dried distillers’ grains),” said Allen Pirness, manager […] Read more