Saskatchewan’s New Democrats will have a new critic to debate the incumbent minister over the agriculture file. Provincial opposition leader Ryan Meili on Tuesday announced Trent Wotherspoon, the MLA for Regina Rosemont since 2007, as the NDP’s critic for agriculture as well as finance, SaskTel, Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. (SCIC) and the province’s Crown Investments […] Read more

Saskatchewan gets new ag critic, returning ag minister
David Marit, Trent Wotherspoon to handle farm file

Prairie cash wheat: Stronger U.S. prices boost Prairie values
MarketsFarm — Bids in Western Canada were higher this past week for Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS), Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) and Canada Western Amber Durum (CWAD) wheats. Gains in U.S. wheat markets provided support as a stronger Canadian dollar kept a lid on further increases. Average CWRS (13.5 per cent protein) wheat prices […] Read more

USDA sees more soy and wheat plantings, less corn for 2021-22
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. farmers are likely to expand plantings of soybeans and wheat while slightly reducing plantings of corn for the upcoming marketing year, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Friday. USDA forecast that farmers will seed 90 million acres of corn in the 2021-22 crop year, down from 91.0 million for 2020-21. […] Read more

Profit-taking cuts into fund net longs in canola, soy
MarketsFarm — Fund traders were busy liquidating some of their long positions in canola and soybeans during the week ended Tuesday, according to the latest commitment of traders (CoT) report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Managed money fund traders as of Tuesday were holding a net long position in ICE Futures canola […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybeans hold near four-year high
Focus shifts to Tuesday's USDA report to gauge tightening supply
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures held near a four-year high on Friday as Brazilian dryness and strong demand from leading importer China kept the market focused on the prospect of tightening supplies. Corn and wheat dipped but were underpinned by weather risks and Chinese-fueled international demand. The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures up despite slower slaughter
December lean hog futures drop
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures gained slightly on Friday after a week of range trading, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange December live cattle futures settled 0.3 cent higher at 108.65 cents/lb. (all figures US$). CME feeder cattle futures gained 0.525 cents to end at 135.925 cents/lb. For the week, live cattle futures […] Read more

Pandemic spurs farm gate milk price hike
Dairy Commission to lift price effective Feb. 1 next year
With the COVID-19 pandemic in mind, the Canadian Dairy Commission has set aside its usual milk price adjustment formula and will instead increase the price based on its own review. The CDC on Monday announced the farm gate price of milk will increase by $1.46 per hectolitre (100 litres) effective Feb. 1, 2021, pending approval […] Read more

AgriStability in Bibeau’s sights as ministers’ meeting booked
Removing reference margin limit a palatable option
Federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) ministers of agriculture are scheduled to meet Nov. 20 and 27 to discuss improving business risk management (BRM) programs. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie Claude Bibeau said she is confident counterparts from Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia will be willing to contribute their share to make significant improvements to AgriStability, the […] Read more

Feds back pork producers with new levy on imports
New national pork agency to be up and running next summer
A new agency will use funds from a new levy on imported pork to pay for research and promotion for the Canadian pork sector. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie Claude Bibeau on Thursday officially announced the creation of the Canadian Pork Promotion and Research Agency (PRA). The Farm Products Council of Canada (FPCC) and Agriculture and […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Prairie grain market steady, for now
MarketsFarm — The feed grain market in Western Canada remains firm for the time being, but the uncertainty of outside influences makes it difficult to predict where values will go from here. “It is so hard to gauge,” said Susanne Leclerc, owner of Market Master Ltd. in Edmonton, adding “I don’t think anybody can predict […] Read more