File photo of a pea crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: StatsCan’s pea, chickpea acres short of trade expectations

MarketsFarm — Numbers were seen as disappointing for dry peas and chickpeas in Statistics Canada’s survey-based principal field crop planting projections released Tuesday. The federal agency predicted 3.839 million acres seeded for dry peas nationwide, nearly a 10 per cent decline compared to last year. By comparison, MarketsFarm projected 4.38 million acres while Agriculture and […] Read more

CBOT July 2021 wheat with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, wheat, soy step back after reaching new eight-year highs

Wheat at highest since February 2013 after U.S. crop rating fall

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn, wheat and soybean futures ended Tuesday lower after extending a rally to eight-year highs, supported by corn supply worries as adverse weather cast early doubts over harvest prospects in top exporters Brazil and the United States. A sharp decline in weekly U.S. wheat crop ratings also kept the focus […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Live cattle ease on higher grain costs

Feeder cattle, lean hogs mixed

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures eased on Tuesday, as higher input costs could lead to near-term selling of cattle as producers are resistant to paying higher feed costs, traders said. “You’ve got your cost of gains climbing and climbing,” said Scott Varilek, broker at Kooima Kooima Varilek Trading Inc. “Could be some […] Read more

(Canest-transit.ca)

Feds to legislate end to Montreal port strike

Conservatives expected to support Liberals' back-to-work bill

A strike by longshore workers at the Port of Montreal faces federal back-to-work legislation billed Tuesday as the government’s “least desired course of action.” Labour Minister Filomena Tassi on Tuesday announced the introduction of Bill C-29, which “would end the work stoppage at the Port of Montreal and ensure the safe resumption and continuation of […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

StatsCan’s projected canola area on low side of expectations

Wheat acres expected lower, barley up

MarketsFarm — As the market grapples with new planting projections from Statistics Canada, one thing was abundantly clear to MarketsFarm Pro analyst Mike Jubinville: this canola forecast isn’t enough to rectify tight ending stocks. In StatsCan’s survey-based principal field crop areas report, released Tuesday, the federal agency pegged canola acres for 2021-22 at 21.53 million, […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle divorce from futures’ direction

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged. Higher-quality yearlings and calves were steady to $4 higher in Alberta and Saskatchewan; in Manitoba, yearlings traded $2-$4 lower while calves were $3-$5 higher. Domestic cattle markets appeared to divorce from feeder and live cattle futures. June live cattle futures finished the week […] Read more


(Kansas City Southern video screengrab via YouTube)

Rail shippers pick sides as CP, CN bid for Kansas City Southern

Richardson, Conagra among firms supporting both bids

Winnipeg | Reuters — North America’s freight rail customers, from grain shippers to logistics companies, are choosing sides as Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway fight to buy Kansas City Southern. A takeout of KCS would be the first major North American railroad combination in more than 20 years and create the first network […] Read more

CBOT July 2021 corn (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and dark green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn nears eight-year high on tight supplies

Wheat, soybeans at 2013 peak

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn futures climbed on Monday to their highest since June 2013 as concerns about South American supplies buoyed the market. Strength in corn pulled wheat and soybeans to eight-year highs. Chicago Board of Trade most-active July corn ended limit up at $6.57-1/2 per bushel (all figures US$). July soybeans gained […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures climb on USDA report

Lean hog futures' gains continue

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures gained on Monday, supported by Friday’s monthly Cattle on Feed report that showed smaller-than-expected placements, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange June live cattle futures settled 0.55 cent higher at 116.275 cents/lb. while the August contract ended 1.1 cents higher at 117.95 cents (all figures US$). “It wasn’t […] Read more

File photo of cranes at the Port of Montreal. (Jean-Paul_Lejeune/iStock/Getty Images)

Ottawa urged to end Montreal longshoremen’s strike

Back-to-work legislation on table; NDP, Bloc oppose it

Montreal | Reuters — Dockworkers at Canada’s second-largest port on Monday began their second strike in less than a year, as business leaders urged Ottawa to quickly end a walkout they said could cost the economy $25 million a day. The federal Liberal government said Sunday it would introduce special legislation to end the strike […] Read more