MarketsFarm — Canada’s big two railways again reported moving record amounts of Canadian grain during the third quarter of 2020. Canadian National Railway (CN) reported Monday it had shipped 7.76 million tonnes of grain by rail, and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) said Friday it had moved 7.72 million tonnes. For CN that not only marked […] Read more
CN, CP set third-quarter records for grain movement
Federal irrigation pledge seen flowing mainly to Prairies
Infrastructure plan also includes promised broadband support
Prairie provinces will receive the bulk of Ottawa’s $1.5 billion commitment to support irrigation projects, according to federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday launched a three-year, $10 billion infrastructure plan aimed at five different sectors, including agriculture. The $1.5 billion is expected to result in 700,000 acres of irrigated land. […] Read more
Food retail order boom may ease after big quarter, Conagra says
Reuters — Conagra Brands put better-than-expected first quarter sales on Thursday down to heavy ordering by retailers worried about the durability of supply chains in the months ahead as a second wave of coronavirus cases takes hold. Shares in the foodstuffs maker dipped as much as three per cent before recovering after chief financial officer […] Read more
Bayer plans more cost cuts, impairment charges
Pandemic now expected to hit crop science wing
Berlin | Reuters — German drugs and chemical company Bayer announced plans on Wednesday for more than 1.5 billion euros (C$2.34 billion) of cost cuts as of 2024 and said it would take impairment charges on its agricultural business as it battles with low commodity prices. Bayer said that the impact of the coronavirus on […] Read more
Plant-based protein maker Roquette sees short-term COVID-19 impact
Demand could accelerate second Canadian plant
Paris | Reuters — The plant-based protein market has seen a slowdown in new product launches and lower sales in restaurants and cafeterias due to COVID-19 but benefited from more people cooking at home and trying new products, French manufacturer Roquette said. The market for plant-based protein such as meat-free burgers has surged in the […] Read more
USDA data show tighter U.S. grain, oilseed stocks
MarketsFarm — Quarterly stocks data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed tighter-than-expected supplies of soybeans, corn, and wheat in the country. Soybean stocks, as of Sept. 1, 2020, were pegged at 523 million bushels, which was down by 42 per cent from the previous year and below average trade estimates. Corn stocks were below […] Read more
Repayment of 2018 cash advances now due
Deadline is September 30
Reading Time: < 1 minute If you took advantage of Ottawa’s extended repayment deadline for cash advances, the time to pay the loan has run out. In March, the deadlines for repayments of 2018 cash advances for grains, oilseeds pulses, cattle and bison were extended to Sept. 30 (from April 30 previously) because of the pandemic. The extensions, which affected […] Read more
Trump issues permit for Alaska-to-Alberta railway
Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a presidential permit for a private-sector proposal to build a railway from northeastern Alberta’s oil sands to ports in Alaska, a project that still faces numerous hurdles. Trump said over the weekend on Twitter he would issue the permit, which he signed on Monday but […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Peas, lentils see some strength
Lentil trade watching India
MarketsFarm — Canadian pea and lentil markets have shown some post-harvest strength in recent weeks, with good offshore demand providing support. “On the yellow pea side, it’s China, and on lentils, it’s basically India,” Marcos Mosnaim, of Globeways Canada, said of the strength in both markets. Yellow peas are currently trading as high as $7.50 […] Read more
Trump-backed Canadian railway to Alaska faces high hurdles
Proponents say line could move grain, fertilizer as well as oil
Winnipeg/Washington | Reuters — A private-sector proposal endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump to build a railway from Canada’s oil sands to ports in Alaska would free landlocked crude but faces numerous steep challenges. Trump wrote on Twitter over the weekend that he would issue a permit for the Alaska-Alberta Railway Development Corporation (A2A Rail) […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
