Grain firm Viterra’s asset investment plan has moved onto Biggar things. Regina-based Viterra announced Monday it’s starting construction “immediately” on a new “state of the art” elevator about two km northeast of its current elevator at Biggar, Sask., about 90 km west of Saskatoon. The new concrete facility will have storage capacity of 34,000 tonnes […] Read more

Viterra to replace western Saskatchewan elevator
Grain firm going bigger at Biggar

U.S. livestock: Hog futures mixed, cattle drop
Technical selling pulls cattle futures lower
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures were mixed on Monday, with the nearby contract rising on strong export demand while deferreds eased on signs that China was making progress in rebuilding its decimated hog herd, traders said. Strength in the cash market supported the front-month December contract, which rose 2.3 per cent and hit […] Read more

Trump’s payments to farmers hit all-time high ahead of election
Canadian growers seek level playing field
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump is assuring a bumper year for farmers as the Nov. 3 election approaches, with record government subsidies projected to make up more than a third of farm income in 2020. The aid programs could be key to Trump’s chances of success in swing states such as Wisconsin, […] Read more

Alberta gives oil and gas drillers municipal tax break
Reuters — Struggling oil and gas companies in Alberta will get a three-year break on municipal property taxes for land where they are drilling wells or building pipelines, the provincial government said on Monday. The Alberta government said it would also lower property tax assessments on less-productive wells and eliminate a provincial tax on drills. […] Read more

U.S. grains: Dry soils push Chicago wheat higher
CBOT corn, soy futures also rise
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soft red winter wheat futures firmed on Monday, hitting almost six-year highs, on concerns about dry conditions across key global growing areas, traders said. But gains were limited as investors stood by after prices have rallied 8.6 per cent so far this month. “The market is just […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures retreat from 11-month high
Cattle futures down on beef demand uncertainty
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures ended lower on Friday on profit-taking and disappointment over export demand, after prices climbed to the highest level in 11 months. Strong domestic demand for pork continues to underpin hog futures, analysts said, with the most-active December contract surging 39 per cent on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange […] Read more

Grain, oilseed exports running ahead of average
MarketsFarm — Canadian grain and oilseed exports have left the country at a rapid pace during the first 10 weeks of the 2020-21 crop year, with canola, wheat,and barley movement-to-date all up substantially on the year. Total exports of Canada’s major grains and oilseeds as of Sunday came in at 9.57 million tonnes, according to […] Read more

Prairie cash wheat: Prices up on sharp rises in U.S. wheat
MarketsFarm — Wheat bids in Western Canada were higher for Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS), Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) and Canada Western Amber Durum (CWAD) wheats for the week ended Thursday. Support came from double-digit increases in Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City wheat futures. Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar was relatively steady. Average CWRS (13.5 […] Read more

South African white farmers, Black protesters face off over farm murder
Two suspected killers of farmer attend court hearing
Senekal | Reuters –– White South African farmers and Black protesters hurled abuse and threats at each other on Friday during a court hearing in a murder case that has exposed still simmering racial tensions 26 years after the end of apartheid. The killing of Brendan Horner, a white man whose body was found tied […] Read more

U.S. grains: CBOT wheat hits 2014 high on global crop concerns
Soybean futures retreat from gains
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures surged to their highest prices in nearly six years on Friday as dry weather in key growing regions around the world fueled supply concerns. Corn futures ended lower, after touching a 14-month high on prospects for hefty sales to China, and soybeans also slumped. Traders are keeping a […] Read more