(PorcOlymel.com)

Slaughter resumes at Olymel hog plant

Return to usual pace expected 'in coming weeks'

Hog slaughter resumed Friday at a major Quebec pork plant that had sat idle for over four months, as striking employees now return to work with a new six-year contract. The Olymel plant at Vallee-Jonction, south of Quebec City, restarted daytime and evening hog slaughter shifts Friday after “maintenance and sanitation” work on Wednesday and […] Read more

(Thinkstock photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Spring wheat bids mixed, durum jumps

U.S. December wheat futures down on week

MarketsFarm — Increased worldwide demand for wheat and precipitation across the Prairies have resulted in mixed spring wheat bids for the week ended Thursday. Scattered showers across wheat-growing areas in Western Canada, as well as the ongoing spring wheat harvest, have brought downward pressure on the markets. The rising Canadian dollar also served to lower […] Read more


CME October 2021 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle lower as beef prices cool

Lean hogs close mostly lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell on Thursday, on softening wholesale beef prices and a lack of supportive news, traders said. CME October live cattle settled down 1.525 cents at 126.05 cents/lb. after hitting 125.875, near the contract’s 100-day moving average and its lowest price since Aug. 6 (all figures […] Read more

A corn crop near London, Ont. in July 2021. Relatively good yields down east may lead to more Prairie livestock feeders “jumping on the corn bandwagon.” (Farmtario photo by John Greig)

Feed weekly outlook: Crop estimates show severity of drought

'Corn bandwagon' filling up

MarketsFarm — Preliminary crop yield estimates released by Statistics Canada on Monday outlined just how severely the drought in Western Canada cut into production. Mike Fleischhauer, general manager for Eagle Commodities at Lethbridge, Alta., was not at all surprised by the numbers. “I think we knew that was happening all along,” he said. “There are […] Read more



(Viorika/E+/Getty Images)

Thunder Bay reports rare inbound grain shipment

MarketsFarm — Grain movement at the Port of Thunder Bay included a rare inbound cargo of feed wheat, according to the port’s latest monthly report. A 12,000-tonne shipment of feed wheat was delivered to Richardson’s Current River elevator from the company’s facility in Hamilton, Ont. The wheat was said to be destined for Manitoba feedlots, […] Read more


CBOT November 2021 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, green and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans, corn, wheat end firmer on bargain buying

Markets up off fall from Ida damage

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures firmed on Thursday on bargain buying after a six-session slide and better-than-expected weekly export sales data, analysts said. Corn and wheat futures also edged higher, consolidating after recent declines. Chicago Board of Trade November soybeans settled up 5-1/2 cents at $12.83-1/4 per bushel, bouncing a day after hitting […] Read more

GM’s CAMI assembly plant at Ingersoll, Ont. (GM.ca)

GM to cut North American production, citing chip shortage

Both GM, Ford cutting truck production

Washington | Reuters — General Motors will reduce production at most North American assembly plants this month because of the ongoing semiconductor chip shortage, hitting its profitable truck and sport utility vehicles, it said Thursday. The largest U.S. automaker will halt production next week at its Fort Wayne plant in Indiana and its Silao plant […] Read more


File photo of a canola crop south of Ethelton, Sask. in 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Nexera canola seed to come with heat blast insurance

Corteva's 'Heat Advantage' provides coverage on seed purchased by Oct. 29

Farmers can’t prevent canola flowers from aborting in hot weather resulting in lower yields, but one seed company is providing some insurance against it — as part of the price of the seed. Brevant’s Nexera canola seed comes with a “a first-of-its-kind” insurance policy worth up to $100 an acre to offset yield losses due […] Read more

CME October 2021 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end up off six-session skid

Hogs up but still rangebound

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher Wednesday on short-covering after a six-session decline and expectations of firming cash cattle prices, traders said. However, the rally was capped by falling wholesale beef prices, with the U.S. grilling season poised to wind down after Monday’s Labour Day holiday. CME October live […] Read more