
Spring planting well underway in Ontario
MarketsFarm — Farmers are well into seeding their crops for 2022, according to Wednesday’s crop report from Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The report noted planting of corn, soybeans and spring cereals started late last week — the exception being where there are heavier soils. OMAFRA projected planting could be 80 […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Market watching new-crop weather
MarketsFarm — With excessive moisture in the eastern Prairies and persistent drought in southern Alberta, uncertainty over new-crop grain production is keeping some caution in the feed market. The spot market is relatively steady as the market waits for a better picture on this year’s growing conditions. “A lot of the feedlots have all the […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: Markets react to USDA supply/demand estimates
Wheat data 'surprisingly supportive'
MarketsFarm — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Thursday released its monthly world agriculture supply/demand estimates (WASDE) — the first to show estimates for the 2022-23 marketing year — and markets reacted quickly. Ryan Ettner, a broker for Allendale Inc. at McHenry, Ill., said that while figures for corn and soybeans were in line […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheats up on ‘indisputably bullish’ cuts to harvest estimates
MGEX July wheat limit up, K.C. July wheat hits contract high
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures set contract highs on Thursday as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) slashed its production forecast for the variety that is grown in the U.S. Plains and used to make bread. USDA, in a monthly crop report, projected hard red winter wheat output at 590 million bushels, down […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs weaken amid demand concerns
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures fell on Thursday, as high meat prices are threatening U.S. demand, analysts said. Concerns that inflation could remain elevated for longer than anticipated weighed on the markets because higher prices could reduce meat sales, analysts said. Traders also watched a rise in prices for grain used […] Read more

Mildew scrapped as grading factor for No. 3 wheats
Grading changes also planned for canola admixture, splits in peas, excreta in mustard
The Canadian Grain Commission will change its standard samples for mildew in No. 1 and No. 2 wheats, and drop it as a grading factor for No. 3 wheats, effective this summer. The CGC on Monday laid out a list of changes to its grain grading policies and standards for wheat, canola, peas, beans and […] Read more

Over half Canada’s farm revenue now goes to biggest farms, census finds
More women operators, more sustainable practices, more growing under glass
While it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the number of larger farms by sales in Canada is rising and the number of smaller farms is declining, Canada’s newest ag census also shows larger farm classes now capturing the majority of total ag revenue. Statistics Canada on Wednesday began releasing data from its 2021 Census of Agriculture, […] Read more

ICE weekly outlook: Conditions a challenge for Prairie canola
MarketsFarm — Wet conditions throughout much of the eastern half of the Canadian Prairies continued to delay spring planting this week. Meanwhile, the western half of the region remained mired in drought and in need of rain to help recently-seeded crops get off to a good start. “Get it in the ground and get some […] Read more

More funds put up to boost Calgary vet school enrolment
Funding added for more staff, materials on top of infrastructure money
The University of Calgary’s faculty of veterinary medicine, fresh off a major capital funding boost in February’s provincial budget, now gets another $8.4 million over three years to help expand enrolment. “This targeted enrolment funding will go towards hiring on more faculty/staff to teach the increased number of students,” Sam Blackett, press secretary for Advanced […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs drop to January lows on demand worries
Live cattle up, feeder cattle down
Chicago | Reuters — CME lean hog futures on Wednesday fell to their lowest prices since January amid concerns about demand for U.S. pork, analysts said. Inflation and a decline in U.S. pork exports to China, the world’s top pork consumer, are hurting demand, analysts said. The consumer price index rose 8.3 per cent in […] Read more