ICE Futures November 2019 canola, with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Upside limited for canola’s snow boost

MarketsFarm — An unwelcomed early winter storm sent ICE Futures canola contracts higher during the week ended Wednesday, but it will take outside support to sustain a rally, according to industry participants. Snow in Alberta and Saskatchewan and cool and wet conditions in Manitoba slowed harvest operations during the week, with about 60 per cent […] Read more

Spring wheat futures rally on North American weather woes

Spring wheat futures rally on North American weather woes

MarketsFarm — Weather-related quality issues with North American spring wheat crops saw Minneapolis spring wheat futures rally sharply over the past three weeks, with more room to the upside as concerns mount over the state of the crop. The December contract hit a multi-year low of $4.865 per bushel at the beginning of September, but […] Read more


Wet harvests hurt U.S., Canadian spring wheat quality

Wet harvests hurt U.S., Canadian spring wheat quality

Chicago | Reuters — Excessively wet conditions in the northern U.S. Plains and Canadian Prairies have hurt the quality of the region’s spring and durum wheat crops, potentially tightening supplies of top grades of the grains, handlers and agronomists said. Rains and heavy dew have slowed the harvest and, worse, caused mature, un-harvested wheat kernels […] Read more

ICE January 2020 canola with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Uncertainty, lack of farmer selling lift canola bids

MarketsFarm — Over the last week or so canola prices have been largely supported by two factors, according to Errol Anderson of Pro Market Communications in Calgary. “To some degree it’s still crop uncertainty and growers aren’t selling.” Cash bids have varied widely, he said, while spot premiums have shot up a bit. “That indicates […] Read more


(Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Frost strikes in numerous spots in Manitoba

MarketsFarm — Numerous areas throughout the growing areas of Manitoba experienced frost, according to the province’s crop report for the week ended Monday. The coldest locations were Sprague in the eastern region, Narcisse in the Interlake and Lake Audy in the southwest, which experienced temperatures of -2 C on Sept. 8. Many other areas saw […] Read more

Chickpeas. (CalypsoArt/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Chickpeas appear OK, but prices soft

MarketsFarm — Canada’s chickpea crop has likely beaten earlier expectations — but poor prices may limit farmer sales come harvest. “We planted the crop in drought conditions” and were preparing for the worst, said Colin Young of Midwest Grain at Moose Jaw, Sask., pointing to the lack of subsoil moisture in key chickpea-growing regions of […] Read more


(JohnnyMad/Getty Images)

Saskatchewan mustard crop poised for strong finish

MarketsFarm — Mustard crops in southwestern and south-central Saskatchewan may have received enough rain to turn themselves around after a dry spring. “The area south of Highway 1 saw a lot of rain this year,” said Kevin Hursh, executive director of the Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission. “They’ve seen a huge turnaround in their crop potentials.” […] Read more



Bison on pasture near Pigeon Lake, Alberta.

Feed Watch: June 24, 2019

A look at growing conditions for forage and feed across the Prairies and Ontario

Some areas in Western Canada welcomed rain recently. But overall, the Prairies are facing a 200-millimetre moisture deficit, Environment Canada estimates. To turn around the growing season, timing of rain is at least as important as volume, Marlo Glass reports in MarketsFarm. Drought-stricken areas will need a rainy day every week or 10 days throughout […] Read more