Canola Council of Canada president Jim Everson says China’s decision to stop imports of Canadian canola via Richardson International is concerning and something on which the council will work with the Canadian government to try and reverse. (Allan Dawson photo)

China’s block on canola seen as blowback from diplomatic spat

Montreal — Canola industry leaders attending the first Canadian Crops Convention here this week say they don’t know why China has abruptly blocked imports of Canadian canola from Richardson International, Canada’s biggest grain company. But according to a senior Richardson official it’s in retaliation to the diplomatic spat between China and Canada over the arrest […] Read more




(Richardson Pioneer via YouTube)

China blocks some Richardson canola shipments

Beijing/Kabul | Reuters — China has canceled Canadian agribusiness Richardson International’s registration to ship canola to China, the company said on Tuesday, the latest sign of tensions between Ottawa and Beijing. It was not immediately clear why exports to China by Richardson, the world’s top importer of canola, had been halted. Canada and China are […] Read more



CBOT May 2019 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans firm on trade deal hopes

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures climbed on Monday amid news reports that Beijing and Washington are close to settling a lingering trade dispute, a breakthrough that could boost China’s demand for U.S. soy and other agricultural products. Corn also rose, pulling away from a three-month low struck in the previous session. Wheat prices […] Read more


CBOT May 2019 wheat with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat posts steepest weekly decline in half a year

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat prices fell on Friday and posted their steepest weekly decline since late August as technical selling and competitive global supplies pressured prices. Soybean and corn prices rose, rebounding from earlier losses, but gains were capped on concerns surrounding strong export competition. The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board […] Read more

(File photo)

U.S. wins WTO ruling on Chinese grains

Geneva | Reuters — The United States won a World Trade Organization ruling on China’s price support for grains, successfully challenging a calculation methodology that is also used by India. A WTO adjudication panel agreed on Thursday with the U.S. complaint that China had paid farmers too much for wheat, Indica rice and Japonica rice […] Read more


CBOT May 2019 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans fall as trade concerns weigh

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean prices fell on Thursday despite stronger-than-expected export sales as investors worried that an eagerly awaited trade deal between Washington and Beijing remained elusive. Wheat and corn also fell as heavy deliveries against the March contracts weighed on the market. There were 820 deliveries against CBOT March soybeans, 400 deliveries […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Maple Leaf profit misses estimates on weak pork prices

Reuters — Packaged meat producer Maple Leaf Foods missed analysts’ estimates for quarterly profit on Thursday, as weak pork prices offset growth in its prepared meats business. Pork prices have taken a beating from the Sino-U.S. trade war, with China’s retaliatory tariffs affecting demand from the South Asian country, which is the world’s biggest pork […] Read more