Detail from the front of the CBOT building in Chicago. (Vito Palmisano/iStock/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly outlook: Weather, demand affect grain prices

Wheat 'up and down' on Black Sea uncertainty

MarketsFarm — Severe weather in the U.S. as well as macroeconomic factors at home and abroad affected grain prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) for the week ended Wednesday. Jack Scoville of Price Futures Group in Chicago said wet and cool weather across the U.S. Plains, Midwest and corn belt, as well as […] Read more

Trucks wait for crossing into Poland at the Rava-Ruska border checkpoint in Ukraine’s Lviv region on April 17, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Roman Baluk)

EU plans import curbs on Ukraine grain, farmer supports for border countries

Grain would be let into five countries only for export

Brussels | Reuters — The European Union is preparing 100 million euros (C$147.4 million) in compensation for farmers in five countries bordering Ukraine and plans to introduce restrictions on imports of Ukrainian grains. Pressure has mounted on Brussels to work out a European Union-wide solution after Poland and Hungary banned some imports from Ukraine last […] Read more


File photo of a wheat harvest in Kazakhstan. (Yerbolat Shadrakhov/iStock/Getty Images)

Less wheat expected in Kazakhstan in 2023-24, despite same acres

Soil moisture loss expected in wheat-growing regions

MarketsFarm — As the 2022-23 crop year in Kazakhstan begins to wind down, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) attaché in the country’s capital of Astana estimated its wheat production at 16.4 million tonnes. Should that forecast hold, the attaché’s report noted it would be the largest wheat harvest since 2017-18. However, going into the […] Read more

File photo of a federal office building in downtown Winnipeg. (Dave Bedard photo)

Some 155,000 federal public workers on strike over pay dispute

Some AAFC, CGC work to be affected

Ottawa | Reuters — More than 155,000 public sector workers in Canada began a strike Wednesday after failing to reach a wage deal with the federal government by a Tuesday night deadline, in action that will affect tax filings and passport services during peak demand. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union said contract […] Read more


(Omersukrugoksu/iStock/Getty Images)

Ukraine agrees with Poland on resumed grain transit

Ukraine also trying to salvage Black Sea grain deal

Warsaw | Reuters — Poland agreed on Tuesday to lift a ban on the transit of Ukrainian grain and food products, but Ukraine said a wartime deal allowing it to safely ship grain from Black Sea ports was still under threat. Failure to resume exports into eastern European countries or secure an extension of the […] Read more

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

Pulse weekly outlook: Peas heading in different directions

Export demand seen down for yellows

MarketsFarm — Prices for green and yellow peas have been starting to move further apart, according to Levon Sargsyan, grain broker with Johnston’s Grain at Welwyn, Sask. Sargsyan pointed out that prices for yellow peas have been slipping back recently. “Export demand has dropped overseas, so that’s been pushing the yellow pea prices down. The […] Read more


CBOT May 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, MGEX May 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. May 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago grains flat or higher on Ukraine concerns

Rains expected to cause U.S. planting delays

Mexico City | Reuters — Chicago grain and soy futures closed nearly flat or higher on Tuesday as traders assessed the impact of several countries banning Ukrainian grain, and the future of a Black Sea grains deal remained in doubt. Markets were also eying expected rains in the U.S. that would likely slow planting schedules. […] Read more

File photo of a rapeseed field in India. (Amlanmathur/iStock/Getty Images)

India’s rapeseed output to be steady

El Nino may be a spoiler

MarketsFarm — Rapeseed production in India has been forecast to remain quite consistent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) attaché in New Delhi. The attaché projected rapeseed production for 2023-24 to hold at 11.5 million tonnes, the same in 2022-23. USDA’s official numbers placed India as the world’s No. 4 producer of rapeseed, […] Read more


File photo of a vessel being loaded with grain at a Ukrainian port. (3DFOX/iStock/Getty Images)

Czech farmers say Ukraine imports squeezing them out of EU grain markets

Government not planning import ban

Prague | Reuters — Czech farmers have 40 per cent more grains in stock than a year ago as surging Ukrainian exports to European markets have replaced Czech exports, the country’s Agriculture Association said on Tuesday, warning of a potential squeeze in storage capacity. The comments by the lobby group are the latest sign of […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market factors in lower barley prices

Strength in deferred live cattle futures also supportive

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings over 800 lbs. jumped $4 to as much as $10 in some cases. Steers in the 700- to 800-lb. category appeared to be up $10-$12 while similar-weight heifers were up $8-$10. Calves under 700 lbs. were up $10-$20. The feeder market was hard to define in some cases. […] Read more