Reuters — DuPont and Dow Chemical said two of the three units to be created and spun off following the companies’ mega-merger will be based in DuPont’s home town, and one in Dow’s home town. The two chemical companies agreed to combine in an all-stock merger in December, valued at US$130 billion at the time, […] Read more
DuPont, Dow set home towns for merged spinoff units
Drought watch kept on Alberta, early spring expected
CNS Canada — Above-average temperatures and limited precipitation could mean parts of the Prairies will struggle with soil moisture heading into the spring, according to one specialist. “The soil moisture that we have in the ground right now is similar to what we went into the winter with,” said Trevor Hadwen, agroclimate specialist with Agriculture […] Read more
Ocean freight index bobs up from recent floor
CNS Canada –– The Baltic Dry Index is finally starting to show some stability after setting fresh record lows on a near-daily basis for the past few months. The BDI set a record of 290 points on Feb. 10, but has since posted gains for the past four sessions, settling at 301 on Tuesday. It […] Read more
Cargill to stop selling seed, inputs in Black Sea region
Chicago | Reuters –– Cargill will stop selling seeds, fertilizer and crop chemicals to farmers in the Black Sea region, as the global trader continues to cut back operations in the face of sliding commodity prices. The 150-year old company, one of the world’s largest privately held corporations, is in the middle of a restructuring […] Read more
Ice-free Great Lakes mean sunny outlook for seaway
CNS Canada — A lack of ice on the Great Lakes means Canada’s St. Lawrence Seaway will start shipping grain earlier than last year. Last year the seaway’s opening was delayed until the beginning of April, due to the amount of ice in the system, according to Bruce Hodgson, director of market development for St. […] Read more
Agrium’s forecast disappoints
Reuters — Canadian fertilizer and ag retailer Agrium has joined rival PotashCorp in forecasting a weaker-than-expected 2016 profit, as prices for crop nutrients remain weak. Agrium’s Toronto-listed shares fell as much as 5.2 per cent to $110.89, its lowest in a year, as investors ignored a better-than-expected quarterly profit. The company, which sells seed, fertilizers […] Read more
StatsCan stocks numbers confirm rapid export pace
CNS Canada — Canada’s grain and oilseed exports appear to be in fine form, based on the latest stocks figures on Thursday morning from Statistics Canada. Stocks of wheat, canola and oats are all down compared to last year’s. In wheat’s case, there were roughly five million fewer tonnes in farmers’ bins at the end […] Read more
Baltic index slips to fresh low, demand concerns persist
Reuters — The Baltic Exchange’s main sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships carrying industrial commodities, slipped to another all-time low Tuesday on worries about vessel oversupply and slowing global demand. The overall index, which gauges the cost of shipping dry bulk including iron ore, cement, grain, coal and fertilizer, fell four points or […] Read more
Higher oat stocks expected, CBOT futures weak
CNS Canada — CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) oats are relatively weak, but fairly priced from where one U.S. analyst sits — and traders are looking to an upcoming Statistics Canada report for indication on where to move next. “Just looking at the market in general, oats are somewhat cheap, but right now I think […] Read more
CN to challenge latest grain revenue penalty
Ordered to hand over more than $7 million in Prairie grain handling revenue and related fines for the 2014-15 crop year, Canadian National Railway now plans to challenge the bill in court. Montreal-based CN on Monday filed in the Federal Court of Appeal, seeking leave to appeal the Canadian Transportation Agency’s (CTA) Dec. 29 finding […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
