The new measures will establish guidelines for quantifying, reporting, and verifying greenhouse gases (GHGs) associated with the production of biofuel feedstock commodity crops grown in the U.S. In addition, the guidelines will facilitate the recognition of climate-conscious agriculture for clean transportation fuel programs, creating new market opportunities for biofuel feedstock producers while enhancing climate benefits.

The interim rule was made with regards to three crops: corn, soybeans and sorghum. It also allows for climate-smart agricultural practices such that could reduce GHGs or sequester carbon, including reduced- and no-till agriculture, cover cropping, and nutrient management practices such as the use of nitrification inhibitors. The new regulations allow for farmers to utilize these practices individually or in combination.

Standards were also adopted to quantify, track and report the effects of these practices. These include: chain of custody standards for entities in the biofuel supply chain, including traceability and recordkeeping standards; auditing and verification requirements; and climate-smart agriculture practice standards for the biofuel feedstock crops included under the rule.

The USDA believes the improved guidelines will heighten credibility and confidence in biofuel feedstock crop production, create new marketing opportunities for U.S. farmers, and generate environmental benefits like improved water and soil quality.

“Today’s announcement from USDA reinforces the important role climate-smart agriculture plays in our rural economy, including in fueling clean transportation solutions, as well as the importance of providing pathways for unbundled, science-based accounting of the carbon benefits of climate-smart practices that help farmers earn more for what they grow,” said White House Senior Advisor for International Climate Policy John Podesta.

“The new guidelines are a win for farmers, biofuel producers, the public, and the environment. The action today marks an important milestone in the development of market-based conservation opportunities for agriculture,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Podesta and Vilsack are expected to leave their posts after U.S. president-elect Donald Trump is sworn in on Jan. 20.

The USDA also added an online tool called the USDA Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator to help growers quantify the carbon intensity of their crops.

The interim rule will be posted for public inspection on Jan. 16 and will be published on Jan. 17. Interested parties may submit comments to the USDA during the 60-day public comment period.

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Canadian National Railway (CN) announced Monday it had moved 2.95 million tonnes of grain last month, beating the previous March record of 2.74 million transported last year. It was also the 13th straight month CN broke its own monthly grain movement record.

During its first quarter, despite deliveries being affected by adverse weather, 8.2 million tonnes were moved by CN, topping its previous Q1 record of seven million in 2017. The total was also more than 25 per cent higher than the three-year average of 6.5 million.

CN has moved 22.7 million tonnes of grain during the 2020-21 crop year so far, 3.6 million more than the previous year-to-date record from the 2018-19 crop year.

“Since the beginning of 2021, Canadian grain farmers, along with all of our supply chain partners, have worked closely with CN’s railroaders to deliver record grain performance despite the pandemic and the very difficult operating conditions we faced in February,” CN senior vice-president James Cairns said in a release.

Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), meanwhile, reported it had moved 2.53 million tonnes of grain from February 28 to March 27, according to its own weekly results.

In March 2020, CP moved 2.21 million tonnes of grain. The railway also said grain movement is 14.5 per cent ahead of last year’s crop year-to-date. During its first quarter, 6.62 million tonnes were transported, 12.6 per cent more than in its 2020 Q1.

— Compiled by Adam Peleshaty for MarketsFarm.

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Sasatani said approximately 98 per cent of Japan’s canola imports are from Canada, while Australia supplies the remainder. The attaché estimated Japan’s canola imports in 2020-21 are to rise by 3.3 per cent at about 2.32 million compared to those in the previous marketing year. The attaché also projected the country’s imports to increase further in 2021-22 at 2.33 million tonnes.

In comparison to domestic production, Japan harvested a mere 4,000 tonnes of canola/rapeseed in 2019-20, as well as in 2020-21, with expectations holding the same for 2021-22, according to Sasatani’s report. With the country’s domestic consumption projected to be nearly 2.32 million tonnes in 2020-21, it’s extremely dependent on canola imports from Canada.

The most recent data from the Canadian Grain Commission showed canola exports to Japan were at around 1.35 million tonnes as of February. That’s an increase of 10.6 per cent compared to the same time last year. Japan remains as Canada’s No. 2 canola buyer.

Sasatani pegged Japan’s soybean imports, largely from the U.S., at 3.12 million tonnes for the current marketing year. That’s about 8.7 per cent less than the USDA’s official projection and down 6.7 per cent from imports in 2019-20. The attaché forecast soybean imports to bump up to 3.264 million tonnes in 2021-22.

Sasatani noted that at-home food consumption spiked in Japan with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased the demand for canola oil. Conversely, hotel-restaurant-industrial (HRI) use, which is dependent on soyoil, declined. That led the country’s three largest oil crushers — Nisshin Oillio, J-Oil Mills and Showa Sangyo — to cut back on processing soybeans and switch to crushing more canola.

Besides canola oil consumption in Japan, that for meal is to increase slightly over the current and next marketing years. Sasatani estimated Japan’s use of canola meal at more than 1.16 million tonnes in 2019-20, which was bumped up to over 1.17 million for 2020-21 and is expected to rise to nearly 1.2 million in 2021-22.

— Compiled by Glen Hallick for MarketsFarm.

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The tug-barge combo discharged a calcium chloride brine solution, used as a stabilizer and dust suppressant. The same combo also opened the season 2020, one year ago to the day.

Two bulker vessels arrived early Saturday morning for grain cargoes, and six more were anticipated over the weekend as grain loading operations in the port hit the ground running.

Two wintering vessels carrying bulk grain departed the northwestern Ontario port ahead of the official opening: MV Blair McKeil of the McKeil fleet, and MV Algoma Strongfield of the Algoma Central fleet.

Thunder Bay, on the northern shores of Lake Superior, had its busiest year in over two decades in 2020, with annual cargo volumes topping 10 million tonnes for the first time since 1997.

Of the 10.2 million tonnes of total cargo shipped in 2020, grain accounted for 9.2 million tonnes, up from 7.9 million in 2019.

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The Churchill Marine Tank Farm and associated assets are also part of the deal, according to an Arctic Gateway Group release.

Pulse and durum processor AGT Foods and Ingredients and Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings had held the other 50 per cent of the assets, up until the transition earlier this month, the partnership said.

“A tremendous amount of hard work has seen northern communities reach this critical milestone,” Churchill mayor and OneNorth co-chair Mike Spence said in the news release. “Together with our partners we are taking the next important steps to realize our vision for a national Arctic trade corridor.”

The OneNorth consortium of Indigenous and northern communities said it’s committed to the long-term success of the rail line and trade corridor.

The port and rail line have seen a significant turnaround since 2018, the partnership said, citing work to establish a local governance structure, which includes leadership from across northern Manitoba, to form the partnership.

“Our communities are ready to step up,” OneNorth co-chair and Opaskwayak Cree Nation Onekanew (chief) Christian Sinclair said. “We have a multi-generational socioeconomic development vision that will take this work forward as a truly northern Canadian success story.”

Under a 2018 partnership agreement supported by the federal government, AGT and Fairfax assisted OneNorth leadership in taking the Arctic Gateway Group through a “critical transition.”

Since then, passenger and freight rail service have been restored and port services have fully resumed for both import and export, including six cargo re-supply vessels for Nunavut.

Regina-based AGT will continue to provide management services during the transition period and plans to negotiate a terminal handling agreement to ship grain through the Port of Churchill.

Health and safety upgrades were undertaken on all operations, and environmental remediation and decommissioning of the former fuel tank farm was undertaken with the installation of new tanks., the partners said.

“We are very proud of all that we have accomplished over the past two and a half years with our partner, OneNorth,” AGT CEO Murad Al-Katib said in the same release.

“The long-term economic and social impact of this critical national infrastructure corridor will provide benefits to Canadians for generations.”

The port and railway had faced an uncertain future when its previous owner, U.S.-based rail operator OmniTrax, closed the rail line in 2017, after sections were washed out in high water.

After three years of no rail traffic to or from Churchill, OmniTrax sold the line to the Arctic Gateway Group consortium.

Compared to other Canadian grain-handling ports, Churchill is plagued by a much shorter shipping season, and the rail line is hampered by the shifting whims of the northern tundra.

However, loading at Churchill shaves off significant travel time for grain vessels bound for major export destinations such as in Europe, relative to ports in southern Canada such as Thunder Bay.

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The total value of farm cash receipts in the country totalled $71.7 billion in 2020, an 8.1 per cent increase from the previous year. Saskatchewan and Ontario posted the largest increases, receiving $2.6 billion and $1.3 billion more than in 2019, respectively.

Driven largely by greater export demand for Canadian grains and oilseeds, crop farmers received $5.2 billion more than in 2020, at $41.9 billion, a 14.2 per cent increase.

Statistics Canada also cited favourable growing conditions and record grain shipments on rail as other major factors for the increase.

The three crops bringing in the most money for Canadian crop farmers were canola ($10.3 billion, a 19 per cent increase from 2019), wheat except durum ($6.1 billion, a 13.9 per cent increase) and cannabis ($4 billion, a 73 per cent increase). Meanwhile, floriculture, nursery and sod fell by 12 per cent at $1.6 billion and corn for grain dropped by 9.2 per cent to $2.1 billion.

Receipts for livestock fell slightly by $208 million or 0.8 per cent in 2020 to $26.4 billion. Statistics Canada said this was primarily due to reduced capacity at meat processing plants early in the pandemic.

Cattle receipts went down by 4.9 per cent to $8.3 billion, with most of the decline attributed to slaughter cattle. Dairy receipts went up 1.9 per cent to $7.1 billion. Hogs, milk, eggs and chicken for meat all posted higher receipts in 2020, while turkey for meat fell.

Direct payments to Canadian farmers rose by $340.1 million in 2020 to $3.5 billion, with Alberta seeing the biggest rise at $214.4 million.

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Meanwhile, dry conditions are expected to continue across the Prairies.

AccuWeather’s report forecasts below-normal temperatures for B.C. and western Alberta going into spring. That could delay the snowpack from melting, leading to an increased risk of flooding.

“The result of this expected weather pattern will be above-normal snowpack and river levels that may lead to a higher-than-usual threat for spring flooding due to excessive runoff and ice jams in B.C. and western Alberta by late spring and into early summer,” AccuWeather meteorologist Brett Anderson said in a news release.

Anderson, a specialist in long-range forecasting for the private weather service, explained there are two storm tracks, with one helping stir up storms across B.C. and elsewhere in Canada, something quite typical during a La Nina.

The other track will veer south into the northern U.S. Plains, taking away opportunities for precipitation from the Prairies. In turn, that’s expected intensify the current dry conditions across the Prairies.

“However, it is still very early and conditions can change quickly in early spring, thus additional updates on the spring flood risk are likely through the season,” Anderson added.

There could be a risk of wildfires in southern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba, he cautioned, should the dryness become quite severe during the spring.

For Ontario and Quebec, as well as Atlantic Canada, AccuWeather forecasts above-normal precipitation during the spring. While that will replenish depleted soil moisture levels in a number of parts of Eastern Canada, the likelihood of more precipitation could result in flash flooding.

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One of the more significant alterations was its 1.42 per cent increase to total global production from that in 2019-20, at nearly 2.216 billion tonnes. It also raises its estimate for this marketing year’s production by six million tonnes from its figure in January.

The council cited improved production of wheat and coarse grains in Australia, Kazakhstan and Russia for the increases. Also, it noted higher prices should lead to more corn grown in 2021.

Total ending stocks remained the same as last month in the IGC report, at 611 million tonnes, which is a drop of almost one per cent from those in 2019-20.

Global wheat production was pushed up five million tonnes from January to 773 million tonnes, according to the council — a 1.4 per cent rise from production in the previous marketing year. The council held ending stocks at January’s estimate of 294 million tonnes, 5.76 per cent more than in 2019-20.

The IGC nudged up global corn production by one million tonnes from last month’s report at 1.134 billion tonnes, a 0.8 per cent increase from 2019-20.

The council also held its forecast on corn ending stocks at 294 million tonnes, up 5.76 per cent from 2019-20.

Global soybean output was revised slightly, from 359 million tonnes in January to 360 million in the IGC’s February report. The council kept ending stocks at 45 million tonnes, an 11.76 per cent decline from the previous marketing year.

The London-based IGC is scheduled to issue its next supply-and-demand estimates March 25.

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“Pulses are more than just nutritious seeds – they also contribute to achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development,” the UN said in a release. “They play a critical role in addressing challenges of poverty, food security, soil health and climate change. These species provide many opportunities for improving the sustainability of agricultural production systems.”

A virtual event was held to highlight the day, bringing in industry and government officials to talk about pulse crops.

“Pulses play a key role in achieving better food systems. They are a source of safe and nutritious food for all and also contribute to the sustainability of agricultural production systems. Today we celebrate the role of this diverse and versatile commodity in addressing food security and contributing to healthy diets,” said Beth Bechdol, deputy director-general for the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Pulses can also play a role in reducing poverty, promoting well-being of people and the planet, and achieving the far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and transformative goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, according to comments from Munir Akram, president of the UN Economic and Social Council and permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN.

The benefit of pulses in terms of food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture and fighting climate change were also discussed during the event.

Pulses have many benefits, and these protein-, fibre- and mineral-rich leguminous crops are in the spotlight when featured in many dishes around the world, said the UN.

A number of chefs also took part in the event, noting the legumes are a part of the food culture, family traditions and diets of many people across the globe.

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The department’s latest seasonal weather maps, dated Sunday, show a 40-50 per cent chance of above-normal precipitation across most of the northern Prairies. Temperatures across much of the same region have a similar probability of coming in below normal.

Meanwhile, the crop-growing regions of Manitoba should see both normal temperatures and precipitation, according to Environment Canada.

Southern Manitoba is in need of more moisture, according to separate data from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada showing a deficit across most of the southern regions of the province and into southeastern Saskatchewan.

Ontario through the Maritimes are forecast to see above-normal temperatures over the next three months, according to the report.

Precipitation is also forecast to be above-normal in some areas of Quebec and the Atlantic provinces.

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