CME August 2021 feeder cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle firm on tighter supplies

October hogs down on supply expectations

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle futures climbed on Monday, as supplies tightened in the northern U.S. Plains, traders said. “You’ve got a lot of empty yards,” said Scott Varilek, broker at Kooima Kooima Varilek Trading Inc. “We don’t have a lot of large supplies, large runs. You’re going to have to […] Read more

(Conservis.ag)

Telus, Rabobank ag arms buy into farm data aggregator

Companies join in on deal for Minneapolis-based Conservis

The agriculture arms of one of Canada’s major telecoms providers and a major Dutch bank and financial services firm are taking a stake in a tech firm in the business of gathering on-farm data into a single window. Telus Agriculture and Rabo AgriFinance, which is headquartered in St. Louis and serves U.S. farm customers, announced […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Flax prices expected to push higher

MarketsFarm — Although flax prices have held pretty much steady over the last few weeks, prices will soon increase, according to Dale Johnston of Johnston Seeds at Welwyn, Sask. Johnston said prices for old-crop brown and yellow flax were presently about $24 per bushel. New-crop flax was at $18/bu. “By the time we get done […] Read more

CBOT September 2021 wheat (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (black line) and MGEX and K.C. September 2021 wheats (green and orange lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat climbs as drought persists

Soybeans ease on pressure from broader commodity markets

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures gained on Monday, climbing to a 2-1/2- month high, supported by dry weather in parts of U.S., Canadian and Russian growing areas that raises global supply worries. Soybeans eased after last week’s gains, pressured by broader losses in outside markets, though weather uncertainty underpins the oilseed. Chicago Board […] Read more


File photo of the produce section at a Canadian grocery store. (FatCamera/E+/Getty Images)

Industry-led code of conduct for food retailers on horizon

Fees create 'uncertainty' for producers, processors

A report from a federal-provincial working group says the retail sector has levied an increasing number of fees on suppliers, and is proposing the formation of a code of conduct as a potential solution. Canada’s agriculture ministers are now calling on industry to lead the process. They had formed the working group to study the […] Read more

Photo of a Nestle facility. (Nestle via Flickr)

Nestle to shut Ontario foodservice processing plant

Trenton facility to close in mid-2022

Global food processing giant Nestle plans to shut a southeastern Ontario plant and move its work to sites in the U.S., citing a “highly competitive” market. The company announced Thursday it will start to wind down work late this year at the Nestle Professional plant at Trenton, where dehydrated dry-blend and frozen products are made […] Read more


Screenshot of Parrish and Heimbecker’s Quill Lake, Sask. elevator. (ParrishAndHeimbecker.com)

Rail upgrades planned for P+H elevator

Eastern Saskatchewan elevator's rail spot expanding

Winnipeg grain firm Parrish and Heimbecker plans to boost throughput at one of its eastern Saskatchewan elevators with upgrades to its rail car loading systems. Privately-held P+H said Thursday it plans to expand to a 100-car spot, up from 50, at its elevator at Quill Lake, Sask., about 60 km east of Humboldt. Work on […] Read more

CME October 2021 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Firm cash markets lift hog futures

Cattle futures extend slide

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed higher on Friday as firm U.S. cash markets and rising pork prices underscored tight hog supplies, analysts said. News of the first confirmed cases of African swine fever in farmed pigs in Germany added support, raising uncertainty about pork export flows. However, exports of […] Read more


CBOT September 2021 wheat (candlesticks) with  20-day moving average (yellow line) and MGEX and K.C. September wheats (green and orange O/H/L/C). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat posts biggest weekly climb in six years

Weather woes in North America, Russia, Europe spur concerns

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures rose about three per cent on Friday and recorded their largest weekly gain in six years as parched conditions for North American spring wheat and adverse weather in Europe and Russia stoked concern about global supplies. Soybean futures ended higher on uncertainty about U.S. crop weather, while corn […] Read more

(Thinkstock photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Bids up with strong gains in U.S. markets

MarketsFarm — Bids spiked for Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS), Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR), and durum (CWAD) wheats in Western Canada for the week ended Thursday. Steep increases in U.S. wheat futures supported values, as did a lower Canadian dollar which lost more than a half cent. Average CWRS (13.5 per cent protein) wheat […] Read more