Preproduction 2023 models of Ford’s F-series Super Duty pickup trucks. (Ford.com)

Ford to keep AM radio, CEO says

Amid rising concerns, Canada's premier automaker will not drop AM

Ford Motor Co. has gone back on its plan to phase AM radio out of its vehicles. Ford CEO Jim Farley made the announcement Tuesday via Twitter, after company officials said last month that AM would be dropped from new non-commercial vehicles. “After speaking with policy leaders about the importance of AM broadcast radio as […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Elections Alberta)

Pre-election reports analyze Alberta’s ag issues

Three reports focus on party histories, ag sector concerns, current platforms

Alberta farmers’ concerns with provincial policy, and the two major parties’ stances on those concerns, are the subjects of a three-part analysis leading up to a provincial election on Monday. The Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy, a think tank operating out of the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, says its three […] Read more


(Shadowinternet/E+/Getty Images)

Olymel to idle multiple Prairie hog barns

Packer cites 'continued financial losses' in sector

Pork packer Olymel is preparing to dial back its hog production in Western Canada by shuttering six of its sow units in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Olymel, the agrifood arm of Quebec’s Sollio Cooperative Group, announced Friday it has served 80 employees with layoff notices at five sow units in Alberta and one in Saskatchewan. The […] Read more

CBOT July 2023 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn hits one-month high on weather worries

Soybean, wheat futures also advance

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn futures reached a one-month high on Friday as forecasts for dry weather in the U.S. Midwest kept attention on early risks to this year’s crop. Soybean and wheat futures also rose, with the agricultural markets posting weekly gains following recent declines to multi-month lows. Traders added […] Read more


Photo: Thinkstock

Prairie cash wheat: Spring wheat bids drop

Influx of cheap Russian wheat largely responsible for price declines

MarketsFarm – Red spring wheat bids in Western Canada were down, while durum prices were mixed during the week ended May 25, after the release of bearish data. On May 23, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) presented its monthly principal field crop report, which estimated 2023-24 wheat production (including durum) at 35.75 million tonnes. This […] Read more

CME July 2023 lean hogs with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs down 10 per cent on week

Feeder cattle down on corn rally

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures dropped to contract lows again on Friday, as poor demand for U.S. pork continued to depress prices. The losses heap more pain on producers who have struggled with weak prices for pigs and high costs for expenses such as feed and labour. “Producers are losing their […] Read more


A Massey Ferguson MF 5S series tractor. (Agcocorp.com)

Agco, Kubota sign onto U.S. right-to-repair pledge

Firms join Deere, CNH in pacts with Farm Bureau

Two more major ag equipment makers have signed onto a framework that would grant farmers and independent repair shops in the United States reasonable access to the means to repair their machines. The Washington, D.C.-based American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) on Monday announced it had reached memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with equipment firms Agco and […] Read more

Canada Beef at a 2022 hotel promotion with Marriott Hotel Kaohsiung in Taiwan. (Photo courtesy Canada Beef)

Taiwan pledges full access for Canadian beef

Market to reopen in 'a couple weeks,' minister says

Canadian beef exporters can expect to regain full market access to Taiwan within the next couple of weeks, Canada’s international trade minister said Thursday. Posting on Twitter Thursday from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers’ meeting in Detroit, Mary Ng said Taiwanese officials have confirmed the decision, which she hailed as “great news […] Read more


CME July 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs sink to contract lows

Cattle futures up with beef sales, tight supplies

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures tumbled to contract lows on Thursday, as excess supplies and sluggish demand for U.S. pork fueled losses for a fifth consecutive session. Weak prices for pigs and high production costs continue to make it unprofitable to raise hogs, leading some analysts to project that producers will […] Read more

CBOT July 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Weak export demand, rising U.S. dollar pressure soy, corn

Markets consolidate before U.S. holiday weekend

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean and grain futures eased on Thursday as a strong U.S. dollar added to concerns about lacklustre export demand, traders said. The dollar rose for a fourth straight session to a two-month high, making U.S. commodities look less attractive to importers. Favourable weather for planting of U.S. […] Read more