Photo: iStock/Getty Images.

Transport strains pile on drought-induced feed shortages

Importing U.S. corn not cheap

Winnipeg | Reuters — Canadian farmers say they are just days away from running out of feed for cattle, due to severe drought last summer damaging crops needed to fatten them over winter and transportation bottlenecks. The drought devastated Prairie pastures and has now forced feedlots in Alberta, the main cattle-producing province, to buy more […] Read more

Tracy Robinson. (TCEnergy.com)

CN names new CEO, easing tussle with investor

Former CP executive Tracy Robinson returns to rail

Reuters — Canadian National Railway on Tuesday named industry veteran Tracy Robinson as its new chief executive officer, soothing a months-long tussle with its second-largest shareholder over leadership at the railroad operator. Robinson will replace Jean-Jacques Ruest, who announced his decision to step down from the role in October following investor demands for his exit […] Read more



CME April 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs hit new contract high on slim supply

CME April live cattle up slightly

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures climbed to a new contract high on Tuesday on concerns about tightening U.S. supplies, analysts said. Nearby live cattle and feeder cattle futures also strengthened. U.S. cold storage data, issued after the markets closed on Monday, was supportive for hog and cattle futures, analysts said. […] Read more


U.S. grains: CBOT wheat nears two-month peak on Ukraine crisis

U.S. grains: CBOT wheat nears two-month peak on Ukraine crisis

Corn hits June high

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures approached a two-month high on Tuesday as fears of Russian military action in Ukraine made traders nervous about a potential disruption to supplies from the Black Sea exporters. Tensions remained high after NATO said on Monday it was putting forces on standby and reinforcing Eastern […] Read more

(Blair Cameron photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market softens on tight feed grain supply

Ontario buying interest subsides

Compared to last week, prices for yearling steers were down $2-$4 while yearling heifers were down $4 to as much as $8. Calf markets were down $3-$6 from last week. Negative feeding margins, colder temperatures and tight feed grain supplies were the three main factors setting a negative tone in the feeder market. Rail imports […] Read more


CME April 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle sink to November lows

Lean hogs set contract high

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures tumbled on Monday as investors reduced risk and after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week confirmed producers placed more animals into feedlots in December, analysts said. USDA said cattle producers placed 1.96 million head in feedlots last month, up six per cent from a […] Read more

CBOT March 2022 wheat (candlesticks) with 20- and 50-day moving averages (yellow and orange lines) and Euronext March 2022 milling wheat (blue line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat futures rise on fears over Russia-Ukraine conflict

CBOT corn reaches seven-month high; South America rains weigh on soy futures

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures advanced on Monday amid fears that Russia may invade Ukraine and disrupt grain shipments from the region, a major global supplier, traders said. Corn futures also strengthened and set a seven-month high, while soybean futures weakened. Grain traders kept their attention on Russia because it is the world’s […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Larger Canadian crops predicted in AAFC’s first 2022 outlook

MarketsFarm — A return to trend-line yields after the past year’s drought should lead to a significant increase in Canadian crop production in 2022, according to the first supply/demand estimates for the 2022-23 season from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), released late Friday. Seeded area is expected to be up for wheat and the pulses, […] Read more

File photo of elderberries. (DedMityay/iStock/Getty Images)

Smoothie cubes pulled for raw elderberry use

Quebec company's 'Immunity' smoothies under recall; illnesses reported

Federal food safety officials say a Quebec company’s new line of frozen smoothie cubes, sold online, is being recalled over its use of raw elderberries and a resulting potential risk of cyanide poisoning. Montreal-based Evive Nutrition, known in part for its pitch on CBC TV’s Dragons’ Den in 2019, is recalling its Evive brand Immunity […] Read more