File photo of a green soybean crop south of Winnipeg. (Dougall_Photography/iStock/Getty Images)

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

CBOT July 2020 corn with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

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. (Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

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

CBOT July 2020 corn with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

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 sheep shearer Federico Ventura catches a sheep to shear it in Villafale, Spain on June 17, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Juan Medina)

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

CBOT July 2020 wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

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


CBOT July 2020 corn with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

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

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

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


(File photo by Dave Bedard)

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

Asian giant hornets have noticeably large orange heads and black eyes; worker hornets are about 3.5 cm in length; queens can be up to four to five cm in length, with a wingspan of four to seven cm. (B.C. Ministry of Agriculture)

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


Upcoming events