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

U.S. grains: Corn, soy decline as China trade uncertainty lingers

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures closed lower on Tuesday on technical selling and seasonal pressure from the expanding U.S. harvest, along with uncertainty about the terms of a U.S.-China trade pact announced last month, analysts said. Wheat followed the weaker trend, with all three markets retreating from multi-month highs established a […] Read more

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

U.S. grains: Soybeans climb on weather worries

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures neared a four-month high on Monday, supported by fears that wintry weather over the weekend threatened Midwest production at a time of tightening U.S. soy supplies, analysts said. Wheat futures firmed on short-covering and worries about frosty temperatures in the U.S. Plains wheat belt, while corn ended steady, […] Read more



Wet, cold weather dampens harvest progress

Wet, cold weather dampens harvest progress

Alberta Crop Report: Conditions as of October 8

Reading Time: 6 minutes Most parts of the province experienced wet weather conditions in September and the month ended with a significant amount of snowfall in the south. In addition to wet conditions, average daily temperatures were below seasonal norms in most areas across the province over the past two weeks. Many places in Central and Southern Regions recorded […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: Corn jumps four per cent

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures surged more than four per cent on Friday while wheat and soybeans also firmed, buoyed by expectations for a partial U.S.-China trade deal and worries about wintry weather threatening crops in the Midwest, analysts said. Chicago Board of Trade December corn settled up 17-1/2 cents at $3.97-3/4 a […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

U.S. diesel prices hit three-year low as harvest delays feared

New York | Reuters — Diesel prices in the U.S. Midwest have sunk to a three-year seasonal low as farmers in the region face adverse weather conditions, further complicating an already delayed harvest season, traders and farmers said. Diesel demand typically rises during harvest season because farming equipment and trucks transporting product use the fuel. […] Read more

(USDA.gov via Flickr)

Grains drop, soy firm following WASDE report

MarketsFarm — Monthly supply/demand data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture were supportive for soybean prices but bearish for corn and wheat, with adjustments to yields and harvested acres providing a number of surprises. Corn futures saw the largest immediate reaction at the Chicago Board of Trade, as average yields were unexpectedly raised to 168.4 […] Read more


File photo of wheat under snow. (Ssvyat/iStock/Getty Images)

Feed weekly outlook: Prairie grain market finding a bottom

MarketsFarm — The western Canadian feed grain market is showing signs of finding a bottom, as buyers wait to get a better handle on the quality of grain still unharvested across the Prairies. Feed barley is currently trading at around $200 per tonne in southern Alberta, while feed wheat bids are around $210, according to […] Read more

Kochia has taken over this abandoned well site and stands nearly as tall as Kevin Serfas. The Turin farmer says his calls to the energy companies that own several dozen similar sites on his family’s farming operation go unanswered. And managing the weeds would require “a full-time guy,” he said.

Farmers lose — and weeds win — when energy companies walk away

When well sites are abandoned, the rent cheques 
often stop while the noxious weeds flourish

Reading Time: 5 minutes “Kochia six feet tall and completely covering the whole leases. We have many that look like this. When I phone, no one even answers the phones.” This tweet from Lethbridge-area farmer Kevin Serfas in August likely could have been written by any one of hundreds of Alberta producers with abandoned well sites on their farms. […] Read more