(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. grains: Wheat drops to lowest since 2010

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures sank 1.4 per cent on Tuesday to their lowest in nearly six years, weighed down by huge global supplies and spillover weakness from falling crude oil, traders said. The amply stocked supply chain also weighed on corn and soybean futures as the start of the […] Read more




(Bob Nichols photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. grains: Strong exports support corn, soybeans

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose to their highest in nearly three weeks on Monday, supported by technical buying and signs of stronger-than-expected export demand, traders said. Overseas interest for U.S. supplies also supported corn futures, which rose to their highest since Feb. 5, while wheat weakened due to a firm dollar and […] Read more


(RBAuction.com)

Ritchie Bros. buys Mascus online equipment sites

The Canadian operators of the world’s biggest equipment auctioneer have bought worldwide online equipment listing service Mascus. Burnaby, B.C.-based Ritchie Bros. announced Friday it has bought 100 per cent of the equity in Amsterdam-based Mascus for 24 million euros (C$36.8 million), plus up to 3.4 million euros (C$5.2 million) more, pending certain performance targets being […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

PBR breach to cost Saskatchewan seed grower $150K

A Saskatchewan seed grower will pay $150,000 to SeCan — the largest penalty in the seed company’s history — for breaching SeCan’s plant breeders rights (PBR). Harvey Marcil of Pasqua Farms near Moose Jaw, Sask., has also agreed to stop making unauthorized seed sales and was expelled from SeCan’s membership, Todd Hyra, SeCan’s business manager […] Read more


(Gov.sk.ca)

Saskatchewan to halt winter weights early in southwest

Weight allowances that let heavier grain trucks roll on more southwestern Saskatchewan highways over the winter will end a week early, thanks to recent mild weather. The province’s highways ministry announced Friday it will remove the winter weight allowances on secondary-weight highways in the southwest region effective Monday (Feb. 22). “While frozen roads provide a […] Read more



Argentina declares flood emergency in six key farm provinces

Buenos Aires | Reuters — Six of Argentina’s main farm provinces were declared flood emergency areas by the government on Friday, making special credit lines and tax breaks available to affected growers in the soy- and corn-exporting powerhouse. The resolution, announced in the government’s morning gazette, covers the provinces of Cordoba, Santa Fe, Entre Rios, […] Read more

(PortoDoItaqui.ma.gov.br)

Smaller vessels bump up ocean freight index

Reuters — The Baltic Exchange’s main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, marginally rose on Friday on improved rates for smaller vessels. The overall Baltic Dry Index (BDI), which gauges the cost of shipping resources including iron ore, cement, grain, coal and fertilizer, rose for the sixth consecutive session by […] Read more