
Viterra plans major canola crusher for Regina
Expected capacity would make facility largest in world
Grain handler and processor Viterra is taking its plans to build the world’s biggest canola crusher to its Prairie home town. The North American arm of Rotterdam-based Viterra said Monday it’s in the “feasibility” stage of designing and finalizing plans for what it bills as the “world’s largest integrated canola crush facility” in the northeast […] Read more

Rural, remote crime targeted in Tory MP’s bill
Bill would consider crimes' settings during sentencing
An Alberta Conservative MP is trying to tackle rural crime by introducing a law that would punish more severely those accused of targeting remote, and vulnerable, people or property. Red Deer-Lacombe MP Blaine Calkins introduced his private member’s bill for first reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday. “Rural Canadians too often don’t feel […] Read more

Federal budget plays to mixed reviews from ag groups
Funding for green initiatives, carbon pricing rebate plan hailed
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) says it is “pleased” the 2021 federal budget included some of the recommendations it had made. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s first budget, released April 19, included significant spending to help producers transition to a greener economy and cited agriculture as a foundational pillar of Canada’s future. “CFA will be […] Read more

Montreal longshore workers escalate strike
Strike to move from part-time to full-time on Monday
Exports of containerized crops and other goods and imports of ag inputs may stall as striking longshore workers at the Port of Montreal get set to level up from part-time to full-time work stoppage. The Syndicat des debardeurs du port de Montreal (CUPE Local 375) said Friday its members, who have been striking on weekends […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures close narrowly mixed
CME hog futures climb
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed narrowly mixed on Friday, with nearby contracts pressured by lacklustre cash cattle trade and position-squaring ahead of a monthly government cattle report, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange June live cattle futures settled down 0.125 cent at 115.725 cents/lb. while the August contract ended up 0.125 cent […] Read more

More canola, less wheat expected ahead of StatsCan report
'Returns per acre are just so much stronger'
MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers are seen as likely to plant more canola and barley and less wheat this spring, as market participants await the first survey-based estimates from Statistics Canada on Tuesday to confirm the extent of that shift. “Canola will gain acres and wheat will lose acres,” said MarketsFarm Pro analyst Mike Jubinville, pointing […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Prices taper off ahead of report
Feedlots 'not eating as much grain'
MarketsFarm — While prices for feed wheat and feed barley in Western Canada remain substantially higher than one year ago, the past month has seen slight declines. As of Wednesday, high-delivered bids for feed wheat were at least $7.25 per bushel, more than $1.50 higher than last year according to Prairie Ag Hotwire. However, over […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn, soy extend multi-year highs
Tightening global supply picture supportive; CBOT wheat also up
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures closed firm on Friday after rocketing to multi-year highs this week on tightening domestic and global supplies, traders said. As stocks from the 2020 harvest dwindle, dryness in Brazil and a U.S. cold spell raised doubts about prospects for the 2021 corn crops in the world’s […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn highest since 2013
Soy tops US$15, wheat over US$7 on supply fears
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, wheat and soybean futures hit multi-year highs on Thursday as concerns about tightening global grain supplies triggered short-covering and fund-driven buying, analysts said. Nearby Chicago Board of Trade corn futures closed up their daily 25-cent limit (all figures US$). Front-month CBOT wheat rose above $7 a bushel and soybeans […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures extend slide as corn prices charge higher
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures closed lower on Thursday for the 10th time in the last 11 sessions, pressured by fund-driven long liquidation and soaring corn prices that threaten cattle feeders’ profits, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange June live cattle futures settled down 1.4 cents at 115.85 cents/lb. (all figures US$). CME August […] Read more