CBOT May 2019 corn, with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn hits contract lows

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell to contract lows on Friday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture raised its forecast of U.S. corn ending stocks above a range of trade expectations, reflecting a drop in the government’s corn export forecast. U.S. soybean futures also declined and wheat recorded a fifth straight weekly decline, […] Read more

CBOT May 2019 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands, a gauge of market volatility. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans inch up on China purchases

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures inched upward on Thursday on news that Chinese state-owned firms bought at least 500,000 tonnes of U.S. soybeans, while wheat futures dropped to their lowest levels in more than a year on pressure from a strengthening dollar, traders said. Chinese state-owned firms bought the U.S. soybeans for shipment […] Read more





A sample of some of the wireworms and click beetles found in Alberta.

Seeking options for wireworm control

Crop rotation and biological methods are being studied for managing the persistent pest

Reading Time: 4 minutes No available insecticides can kill them and the one that can at least slow them down may be phased out. But biological control may have promise for managing wireworms, says an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientist who has been researching the pest species. “They especially love cereal crops and food crops like carrots and potatoes […] Read more

CBOT May 2019 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans firm on trade deal hopes

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures climbed on Monday amid news reports that Beijing and Washington are close to settling a lingering trade dispute, a breakthrough that could boost China’s demand for U.S. soy and other agricultural products. Corn also rose, pulling away from a three-month low struck in the previous session. Wheat prices […] Read more


CBOT May 2019 wheat with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat posts steepest weekly decline in half a year

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat prices fell on Friday and posted their steepest weekly decline since late August as technical selling and competitive global supplies pressured prices. Soybean and corn prices rose, rebounding from earlier losses, but gains were capped on concerns surrounding strong export competition. The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board […] Read more

(File photo)

U.S. wins WTO ruling on Chinese grains

Geneva | Reuters — The United States won a World Trade Organization ruling on China’s price support for grains, successfully challenging a calculation methodology that is also used by India. A WTO adjudication panel agreed on Thursday with the U.S. complaint that China had paid farmers too much for wheat, Indica rice and Japonica rice […] Read more


(File photo)

Feed weekly outlook: Market aims to ration tight barley supplies

Tightening feed barley supplies in Western Canada have end-users looking to alternatives, with cheaper U.S. corn imports likely to keep a lid on prices. “Barley stocks are tight, so the market is trying to ration the amount of barley being used and it’s doing a pretty good job of that,” said Jim Beusekom of Market […] Read more

You can determine the protein content of your wheat using the Canadian Grain Commission’s 
free Harvest Sample Program.

Protein premiums drop from historic high in 2018

Shopping around can reveal how buyers are grading your wheat and how they pay for protein premiums

Reading Time: 2 minutes The 2018 crop year featured a strong protein premium for wheat, in particular hard red spring wheat. Neil Blue, provincial crop market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, looks at the situation with protein premiums on wheat in 2019. Blue says that wheat protein premiums this crop year have dropped back to below-average levels due […] Read more