MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers will seed more canola in the upcoming 2021-22 crop year, but solid demand will still cause ending stocks to tighten, according to the first new-crop supply/demand projections from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), released Monday. The department forecast seeded canola area in the spring of 2021 at 21.37 million acres, up […] Read more

Feds predict three per cent increase in canola acres
Stocks nevertheless expected to tighten

Indian farmers ride caravan of tractors into capitol ahead of Republic Day
Farmers reject government's offer to suspend ag market reforms
New Delhi | Reuters — Caravans of tractors clogged a key highway in northern India on Monday as tens of thousands of farmers protesting against agriculture reforms streamed into the capital ahead of Republic Day, and police said they were prepared to deal with the crowds. India marks its founding as a republic on Tuesday […] Read more
Trio of AGMs being held online
Meetings take place Jan. 26 and Jan. 27
Reading Time: < 1 minute You’ll have to bring your own coffee, but you can still participate in the annual general meetings of the three crop commissions normally held during FarmTech. With the conference cancelled this year, Alberta Wheat, Alberta Canola and Alberta Pulse Growers are all holding their AGMs online. Alberta Canola’s meeting is Jan. 26 (from 9:30 a.m. […] Read more

Investor nominates directors for Corteva, aims to oust CEO
Reuters — Activist investor Starboard Value LP said on Thursday it has nominated eight directors to the board of Corteva, seeking to oust its chief executive officer and take control of the pesticide and seed maker. Starboard, in its letter to Corteva’s chairman, said it had identified someone new for the top job, but declined […] Read more

Facing green push on farm, fertilizer makers look to sea for growth
Winnipeg/Oslo | Reuters — Two of the world’s biggest fertilizer producers, CF Industries and Yara International, are seeking to cash in on the green energy transition by reconfiguring ammonia plants in the U.S. and Norway to produce clean energy to power ships. The consumption of oil for transportation is one of the top contributors to […] Read more

India offers to suspend farm reforms
Farmers may call off protests
New Delhi | Reuters — India’s government on Wednesday offered to suspend implementation of three new farm laws that have triggered the biggest farmers’ protests in years, which farm union leaders said they would now consider calling off. The cornerstone of the reform, introduced in September, allows private buyers to deal directly with farmers. Angry […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Green, yellow pea prices reach parity
Lower-priced green peas meet upwardly-mobile yellows
MarketsFarm — Yellow and green pea prices in Western Canada have taken divergent paths to start 2021, with yellow peas on the rise and greens declining as values reach parity in many locations. Mike Jubinville of MarketsFarm Pro explained that while Canada’s pea exports suffered under yellow pea import restrictions implemented by India, China later […] Read more

Grain groups post new videos
Chops and Crops along with Alberta Barley’s AGM available on YouTube
Reading Time: < 1 minute With in-person conferences cancelled, Alberta’s wheat and barley commissions have posted several new videos on their YouTube channel. One is a virtual version of the annual ‘Chops and Crops’ roundtable, in which reps from nine commodity commissions (canola, wheat, barley, pulses, potatoes, oats, sugar beet, pork and beekeepers) discuss policy issues with Agriculture Minister Devin […] Read more

Feds launch consultations on Canada Grain Act
Review to run until April 30
The federal government is now officially canvassing the grains sector on upgrades to Canada’s grain regulatory system. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, speaking Tuesday to Saskatchewan crop organizations’ virtual CropSphere conference, announced the feds’ current Canada Grain Act review has entered its consultation stage, running until April 30. The government said it wants feedback from grain […] Read more

Port of Thunder Bay wraps up 21st-century-best year
MarketsFarm — The last vessel of the 2020-21 shipping season left the Port of Thunder Bay on Tuesday, wrapping up the busiest year at the port since 1997. Annual cargo volumes through came in at 10.2 million tonnes, which marked the first time the tonnage topped 10 million since 1997. A total of 9.3 million […] Read more