
Weather

U.S. grains: Soy, corn slump on crop weather, economic concerns
U.S. Midwest sees generally mild temperatures
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures eased for a third straight session on Wednesday and corn futures were mostly lower as forecasts for rains and limited crop-stressing heat across the Midwest farm belt bolstered production prospects. Weak outside markets also hung over grain futures, with equities and crude oil posting steep losses as rising […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn drops to three-week low
Soybeans ease despite crop rating fall as China news weighed
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell for a second straight session on Tuesday and touched a three-week low on an unexpected rise in government crop condition ratings and favorable U.S. Midwest weather that was seen bolstering the recently planted crop. Soybean prices also eased, despite a decline in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s […] Read more

Flea beetle damage ‘moderate’ across Prairies so far
Levels in Manitoba hit thresholds for spraying, reseeding canola
MarketsFarm — Flea beetles, cutworms and diamondback moths are only a few of the pests Prairie farmers have to deal with — and this year, so far, damage from flea beetles and cutworms has varied, as have moth counts. “Flea beetles are common throughout the Prairies, everywhere we grow canola. We haven’t been able to […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn falls on good crop weather
Chinese demand for U.S. farm products underpinning markets
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures declined for the first time in four sessions on Monday as warm weather and scattered rains across a large swath of the Midwest farm belt bolstered development of the recently planted crop. Soybeans were mostly lower as favourable U.S. weather outweighed support from improving demand from top importer […] Read more

Uruguayan shearers flown in to relieve sweltering Spanish sheep
Expert shearers authorized to enter country amid COVID-19 pandemic
Villafale, Spain | Reuters — Brought to Spain on a special flight amid the coronavirus lockdown, some 250 Uruguayan sheep shearers race against time to shear millions of Spanish sheep as sweltering summer temperatures hit. The Uruguayan shearers come to Spain every year, where farmers value them for their skills, their speed and particular care […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat hits eight-month low as harvest advances
Soybeans gain on trade optimism; ethanol report supports corn
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures edged downward on Wednesday reaching an eight-month low as the U.S. harvest continues and rainfall across Europe allayed recent weather worries. Corn prices climbed after early losses, ending in positive territory on increased ethanol use, but capped by pressure from favourable weather across the U.S. Midwest, while soybeans […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn trims gains on technical selling
Wheat slides as harvests face decreased demand; soybeans drop on down meal market
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn futures ended slightly lower on Tuesday after a day of positive trading after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported decreased crop conditions due to recent hot weather across the western corn belt. Wheat slid as winter harvests continue, while soybeans remained lower as weak soymeal trade overwhelmed gains […] Read more

No timeline yet set for BRM reforms
Changes put on hold along with ministers' meeting
Ottawa — Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has confirmed any reforms to business risk management (BRM) programs are being delayed. That confirmation came during a wide-ranging media availability Bibeau held Tuesday. In March, Tom Rosser, an assistant deputy minister at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), said the government is looking at a number of options […] Read more

ICE weekly outlook: Attention on weather after short-covering rally in canola
MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts have recovered off of lows hit at the beginning of the month, with speculative short-covering a feature as attention in the markets turns to North American growing conditions. While canola ran into some resistance Wednesday, there may still be more room to the upside. Canadian canola is at a […] Read more

More ‘murder hornets’ found in B.C., Washington
Findings suggest some were able to overwinter
Reuters/Staff — Officials in British Columbia and Washington state have confirmed new sightings of the Asian giant hornet, dubbed the “murder hornet,” indicating the invasive, predatory insect survived the winter in the Vancouver area and U.S. Pacific Northwest. The stinging hornet, whose queens can grow as large as 2-1/2 inches in length, could potentially pose […] Read more