Malteurop, which operates a malt house at the east end of Winnipeg, is one of several malting companies with a presence in Manitoba. (Dave Bedard photo)

CMBTC study finds new malting barley lines a fit for Manitoba

Agronomic traits in new varieties overcome disease issues that held crop back

Manitoba farmers have improved prospects to access the more-lucrative malting barley market, according to a recent study. The report by the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC), in collaboration with the Manitoba Crop Alliance, says new Canadian malting barley varieties can be grown successfully in Manitoba. With yields and quality comparable to the check variety […] Read more

CBOT January 2024 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans set 6-1/2-week high

Weaker U.S. dollar lifts grains complex

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures touched a 6-1/2-week high on Friday, lifted by uneven crop weather in top soy producer Brazil and fresh export demand for U.S. supplies, coupled with a plunge in the dollar that bolstered corn and wheat futures as well. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) January soybean futures settled up […] Read more


Photo: File

Feed weekly outlook: Prices to continue slipping back

Feedlots covered for now

MarketsFarm — Feed prices are set continue grinding lower for the balance of 2023, “as domestic end users are covered,” according to Jim Beusekom, president of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge. Beusekom pointed to the amount of contracted corn being imported from the United States as well as better-than-expected yields across the Prairies this harvest. […] Read more

Signage on Viterra’s office building in Regina. (Dave Bedard photo)

Bunge seeks antitrust approvals for Viterra merger in major jurisdictions

Commodities market competition healthy in Canada, U.S., CEO says

Minneapolis | Reuters — Bunge has filed for regulatory approvals for its merger with crop handler Viterra in “major jurisdictions” in North and South America, Europe and China, and has gotten the green light from some of its smaller markets including Colombia, CEO Greg Heckman said on Thursday. The merger, which would create a company […] Read more



Nutrien’s head office building in Saskatoon. (Liam O’Connor photo)

Nutrien misses quarterly profit estimates as potash prices plummet

Fertilizer demand expected to rise in Q4

Reuters — Nutrien fell short of analysts’ estimates for third-quarter profit on Wednesday, as lower potash prices weighed on the world’s biggest fertilizer producer. Potash prices have been falling after shipments from Belarus and Russia resumed. These exports had been significantly restricted last year following Western sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its invasion […] Read more


ICE January 2024 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Falling canola market seeks support

Canola seen as 'fairly cheap' but not attracting interest

MarketsFarm — The ICE Futures canola market continued its months-long downtrend as the calendar flipped over to November, with the futures looking for an outside catalyst to spark a corrective bounce. While canola has seen occasional attempts at correcting higher over the past two months, any gains proved short-lived. “The oilseeds are very swingy and […] Read more

CBOT December 2023 oats with cash contract price overlay (brown line). (Barchart)

Oat cash prices don’t immediately follow CBOT movement

One trader can push market around, trader says

MarketsFarm — While oats on the Chicago Board of Trade rallied recently, upward movement in cash prices was varied. Even as that rally came to its eventual end, cash prices on the Canadian Prairies did not budge a great deal. Over nine consecutive sessions, the December oat contract at Chicago pushed higher by 29.5 U.S. […] Read more


CBOT December 2023 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn drops to seven-week low

Wheat, soybeans move higher

Chicago | Reuters — Benchmark U.S. corn futures fell to their lowest point in seven weeks on Wednesday as the harvest continued and showed better than expected yields, while weather forecasts improved in crop areas of South America. Wheat and soybean prices were modestly higher in rangebound trading. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn closed […] Read more

File photo of wheat under snow. (Ssvyat/iStock/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly outlook: Demand, not interest rates, affecting markets

U.S. Fed decision 'pretty much factored in'

MarketsFarm — While key interest rates in the United States will stay put for the time being, corn and wheat prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) declined steadily during the week ended Wednesday. The U.S. Federal Reserve announced earlier Wednesday that the central bank’s policy rate will remain within 5.25 and 5.5 per […] Read more