‘It’s unlikely that anyone with a cursory understanding of basic economics would seriously deride the investment of a few bucks into research for the canola sector today, but in the early years, it wasn’t a sure bet.’ – Gord Gilmour.

Opinion: Setting research priorities a complex puzzle

Could the canola story happen today in an era of ‘research clusters’?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – It’s often observed that from tiny acorns, mighty oaks grow. Nowhere in the western Canadian agriculture scene is this truer than in the canola sector. When one pauses to reflect, one can only marvel at what has happened. A relatively obscure crop, grown largely as a machine lubricant, was transformed into one […] Read more

(Screengrab from Merit Functional Foods video via YouTube)

Merit Foods pays off operating lender, no deal yet for plant

Plant-based protein processor in receivership since March

A Winnipeg pea and canola protein processor in receivership since this spring remains mothballed for now with no firm buyer — but has paid off one of its three secured creditors. Merit Functional Foods, which entered receivership March 1 after just two years’ operation, has sold all its remaining finished and raw inventory and directed […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola prices could rebound

'There's nothing all that exciting to look at'

MarketsFarm — Winnipeg-based trader Ken Ball from PI Financial is cautiously optimistic that canola prices can rebound in the short term. The January canola contract closed at $702.30 per tonne on Wednesday a weekly loss of $7.40. The contract fell below the $700 level on U.S. Thanksgiving on Nov. 23, a day with little volume. […] Read more

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Speculators buy back bearish canola bets in latest report

Funds reduce net long in soybeans

MarketsFarm — Fund traders were actively covering bearish bets in canola during the week ended Nov. 21, buying back some previously placed short positions, according to the latest Commitments of Traders report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The report was delayed due to the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. As of Nov. 21, 2023, […] Read more


ICE January 2024 canola with 20- and 200-day moving averages and nine-day exponential moving average. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Purely technical canola market trending up

Activity expected thin until next week

MarketsFarm — The ICE Futures canola market moved within a wide range during the week ended Wednesday, hitting some of its best levels in a month before running into resistance at the highs. With traders in the United States moving to the sidelines for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, activity should be thin and choppy until […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Large speculative short position in canola dips slightly

Net long in CBOT soybeans increases

MarketsFarm — The large managed money short position in canola futures dipped slightly during the week ended Nov. 14, as speculators bought back some of their bearish bets, according to the latest Commitments of Traders report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). As of Nov. 14, the net managed money short position in […] Read more


Canadian Agriculture and Agrifood Minister, Lawrence McCauley (right) and CCC vice president, crop production and innovation, Curtis Rempel at the funding announcement at the Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre at Glenlea, Man.
 Photo: Don Norman

Canola sector gets research boost

The federal government is putting up $9 million to drive the sustainable growth of Canada’s canola sector. The funding comes from the AgriScience Program—Clusters Component, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership and was announced today (Nov. 14) in Winnipeg by Lawrence MacAulay, the federal agriculture minister. “This new Canola Cluster will build on […] Read more

ICE January 2024 canola with 20-day moving average (yellow line, right column) and CBOT January 2024 soybeans (green line, left column). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Soy complex supporting canola

'Canola has been largely pulled up'

MarketsFarm — Amid falling crude oil prices, canola prices are staying strong, largely due to the Chicago soy complex, according to a Calgary analyst. Errol Anderson of ProMarket Communications has been impressed with canola’s recent rise. The January contract on ICE Futures was as low at $672 per tonne on Nov. 2 before rising to […] Read more


(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Net speculative short position in canola tops 100,000 contracts

Net long increases in CBOT soy

MarketsFarm — Speculative fund traders continued to add to their large short positions in canola futures during the last week of October, taking the net managed money short position over 100,000 contracts for the first time on record, according to the latest Commitments of Traders report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). As […] Read more

ICE January 2024 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Falling canola market seeks support

Canola seen as 'fairly cheap' but not attracting interest

MarketsFarm — The ICE Futures canola market continued its months-long downtrend as the calendar flipped over to November, with the futures looking for an outside catalyst to spark a corrective bounce. While canola has seen occasional attempts at correcting higher over the past two months, any gains proved short-lived. “The oilseeds are very swingy and […] Read more