Live and fed cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange continued lower on Friday, as retaliatory trade action by China pressured the United States markets. China announced it will impose a 34 per cent levy on its imports from the U.S. beginning April 10.

U.S. livestock: Prices down as China strikes back

Saskatchewan cow tests positive for bovine tuberculosis
A cow raised in Saskatchewan has tested positive for bovine tuberculosis the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced late Tuesday.

USDA lowers wheat carryout calls, minor adjustments elsewhere
Corn production in Argentina and Brazil left unchanged in new report
Wheat ending stocks in the United States and around the world may be tighter than earlier thought, according to the latest supply/demand estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture released Dec. 8.

China accounting for bulk of Canadian canola exports so far
Chinese wheat imports roughly half of last years' at same time
China has done most of the heavy lifting when it comes to Canadian canola exports through the first three months of the 2023/24 marketing year (Aug/Jul), according to the latest international trade data released Dec. 6.
Statistics Canada reported canola exports through October at 1.566 million tonnes, with China accounting for 64 per cent of the total (1.006 million tonnes). Japan and Mexico followed at 273,300 tonnes and 196,900 tonnes respectively.

McCain launches new predictive ag firm
McCain Foods has formed a new digital agriculture subsidiary, Presia Ag Insights. The move builds on McCain’s 2022 acquisition of a “predictive crop portfolio” from Resson, a Fredricton, New Brunswick firm that uses artificial intelligence to advise farmers on crop management decisions. McCain, in a media release, said the Presia launch is “the result of […] Read more

Farmers Edge considering privatization
The tech firm is evaluating a pennies on the dollar share buyback from its majority holder
Fewer than three years after going public, Manitoba-based tech firm Farmers Edge is considering a privatization proposal.

5 lessons learned at Agritechnica
I spent five days at Agritechnica 2023 and here are five things I learned. It’s a challenge sometimes to pull out the strong European policy influence on exhibitors and farmers at this show, but there are lessons for Canadian farmers, and the technology created to manage European problems in some cases will make economic sense […] Read more

Agritechnica wrap-up: New combines, tractors and industry trends
Agritechnica is the world’s largest agriculture machinery show, drawing more than 400,000 people from around the world to Hannover, Germany. Glacier FarmMedia Senior Technology Editor John Greig was there and summarized the major product launches and some of the ag-tech industry trends he observed. – John Greig is a senior editor with Glacier FarmMedia. Watch for much […] Read more

Agritechnica update: A new big horsepower Massey, adjustable hay conditioning and automation matures
Massey Ferguson released its new high-horsepower 9S tractor at Agritechnica. It’s the next tractor for Massey Ferguson with the unique 18 cm gap between the cab and the engine, which makes it more conformable for the operator and with better sight lines. It’s also new highest horsepower tractor available from Massey Ferguson at 425 maximum […] Read more

Agritechnica update: Canadian content and a John Deere update
There’s significant Canadian content at Agritechnica. Large companies like AGI and MacDon have impressive displays with significant real estate. I also happened upon the Canada pavilion, packed with companies familiar to many of us, including Honey Bee, Mankato, Schulte and Bushel Plus. The companies say that there’s value in companies from Canada banding together to […] Read more