File photo of a canola crop south of Ethelton, Sask. in 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Nexera canola seed to come with heat blast insurance

Corteva's 'Heat Advantage' provides coverage on seed purchased by Oct. 29

Farmers can’t prevent canola flowers from aborting in hot weather resulting in lower yields, but one seed company is providing some insurance against it — as part of the price of the seed. Brevant’s Nexera canola seed comes with a “a first-of-its-kind” insurance policy worth up to $100 an acre to offset yield losses due […] Read more

(Bondarillia/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Tight Canadian supplies to cut into exports

MarketsFarm –– Canadian pulse supplies during the 2021-22 marketing year will be the tightest of the past decade due to drought during the growing season, with the country likely to be a much smaller player in the international export market for peas, lentils and chickpeas as a result. Statistics Canada pegged the country’s 2021-22 pea […] Read more


Farmer and Grainews columnist Toban Dyck inspects wheat on July 6, 2021 near Winkler, Man., where hot and dry weather has led to thin, uneven stands. (Photo: Reuters/Rod Nickel)

StatsCan confirms Canada’s crop production down in 2021

Corn expected to be lone exception

MarketsFarm — Production of most of Canada’s major grain, oilseed and pulse crops was down substantially in 2021-22, as drought conditions across the Prairies cut into yields, according to preliminary estimates released Monday by Statistics Canada. Of the major crops, only corn was expected to see a slight increase in production on the year as […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Smaller crops anticipated in looming StatsCan report

Survey-based data due out Monday

MarketsFarm — Heat and drought across Western Canada during the summer of 2021 seriously cut into the country’s crop production, raising traders’ expectations for reduced yields across the board when Statistics Canada on Monday releases its first production estimates of the year. Canola production is estimated at 11.5 million to 16 million tonnes, which would […] Read more


CBOT November 2021 soybeans (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans ease as Midwest’s rains seen boosting crop

CBOT December corn up, wheat down

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures fell for a second straight session on Friday as rains were seen boosting harvest prospects in some dry areas of the Midwest farm belt. Wheat futures fell on profit-taking and spillover pressure from lower soybeans, although concerns about global supplies limited declines. Corn was lower much of the […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Ag department lowers crop production, export estimates

Expectations knocked down for most major Prairie crops

MarketsFarm — Canadian crop production will be down significantly in the 2021-22 marketing year, cutting into exports for all of the country’s major grains, oilseeds and pulse crops. That’s the estimation from the latest supply/demand estimates from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), released Thursday. Total field crop production for all crops is forecast to decrease […] Read more


Barley south of Ethelton, Sask. in early August 2017. (File photo by Dave Bedard)

Feed weekly outlook: No surprises in latest barley numbers

MarketsFarm — Following the release of monthly supply and demand estimates from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Thursday, Brandon Motz of CorNine Commodities at Lacombe, Alta. wasn’t surprised at how low the numbers dropped, particularly for barley. Motz commented the harvest hasn’t been as good as initially thought, noting the AAFC report confirmed the situation […] Read more

ICE November 2021 canola (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola rangebound, awaits report

New StatsCan data due out Monday

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts saw some choppy activity during the week ended Wednesday, hitting their lowest levels in nearly a month before recovering back toward the upper end of their wide sideways range. A new production report from Statistics Canada, due out Monday (Aug. 30), could set the stage for a break one […] Read more


CBOT December 2021 corn (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and dark green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn climbs on weaker crop conditions

Soybeans mixed, wheat eases

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn futures climbed on Wednesday for a second day after the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut crop ratings on Monday afternoon, though beneficial rainfall across parts of the upper U.S. Midwest limited gains. Soybeans ended higher after the market made its biggest daily gain since late June on Tuesday, with […] Read more

Boosting forage quality through ammoniation

Boosting forage quality through ammoniation

Anhydrous ammonia can improve poor-quality forage, but it comes with challenges and safety risks.

Ranchers and beef farmers who have sourced straw for their cows may now be looking for ways to boost the ration quality. Ammoniation is one option, but it’s not easily done.  Applying anhydrous ammonia is a “tried-and-true technique” for improving poor-quality forages, says Dr. John McKinnon, speaking during a Beef Research Council of Canada webinar on […] Read more