Winnipeg | Reuters — Canada’s wheat and canola crops withstood wintry weather that stalled the autumn harvest, and production topped last year’s output, according to Reuters’ industry survey of 13 analysts and traders. Statistics Canada on Tuesday will issue its final crop production estimates for the 2016-17 marketing year. The industry expects, on average, all-wheat […] Read more

Canadian wheat, canola crops seen weathering snow

Weaker loonie underpins Prairie wheat bids
CNS Canada — Cash spring wheat and durum bids in Western Canada moved higher during the week ended Monday, as weakness in the Canadian dollar helped underpin basis levels. Depending on the location, average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat prices were up $1-$5 per tonne compared to the previous week. Average prices ranged from […] Read more

Ottawa to back P+H’s Hamilton flour mill
Winnipeg agrifood firm Parrish and Heimbecker has lined up more government financing for its planned new flour mill at Hamilton, this time from the federal level. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay on Thursday announced a $10 million “repayable investment” in the project from the AgriInnovation program, part of the Growing Forward 2 ag policy funding framework. […] Read more

Demand for quality is pushing up hard red spring prices
Look for ‘basis specials’ when grain buyers need to blend better-quality wheat to meet sale specifications
Reading Time: 2 minutes Despite generally low wheat prices, the hard red spring wheat market is showing some positive price action, says a provincial crop market analyst. “At least two things are happening in this market,” said Neil Blue. “Back in August, some commercial buyers began to increase their bids for wheat protein. This was a reflection of the […] Read more

Rising feed grain prices set to hit seasonal plateau
CNS Canada –– Feed barley bids in Alberta have shown some strength over the past few weeks, but may be nearing their highs if seasonal price trends come into play. Barley in the key cattle feeding area of Lethbridge, Alta. is currently trading at about $170 per tonne, up by about $10 over the past […] Read more

Canada resets mildew grading standards on milling wheat
Canada’s visual grading standards for mildew in Prairie milling wheat have been relaxed to reflect what’s now known about the actual quality of affected wheat. The Canadian Grain Commission on Friday announced new mildew guidelines, “effective immediately,” for western Canadian milling wheat classes, to allow for an “increased presence” of mildew in visual guides and […] Read more

MGEX spring wheat futures pull away from winter wheat
CNS Canada — Minneapolis spring wheat futures are pulling away from their winter wheat counterparts, as quality issues with the North American spring wheat crop bring in protein premiums, according to an analyst who said there was more room to the upside in spring wheat. Kansas City and Chicago winter wheat contracts hit 10-year lows […] Read more

Egypt cancels zero-ergot wheat policy amid mounting pressure
Cairo | Reuters — Egypt has reversed its controversial zero-tolerance policy on the common grains fungus ergot, the government said on Wednesday, backtracking on an import regulation that had all but blocked its access to global wheat. Egypt, the world’s largest buyer of wheat, has seen its imports grind to a halt since it imposed […] Read more

Health ministry decision makes zero ergot Egypt’s new normal
Abu Dhabi/Cairo | Reuters — Egypt’s health ministry banned wheat with any ergot fungus on Monday, a decision traders said signals the zero tolerance policy that wreaked havoc on the country’s grain purchases earlier this year is back to stay. The decree, seen by Reuters, brings the ministry in line with an agriculture ministry decree […] Read more

Egypt’s GASC cancels wheat tender as ergot policy bites
Cairo/Abu Dhabi | Reuters — Egypt’s ability to buy wheat from abroad while demanding zero ergot fungus in shipments was dealt a serious blow on Wednesday, with state grain buyer GASC cancelling its tender after receiving just one offer. It was the country’s first tender to purchase wheat since it reinstated its zero-tolerance ergot policy […] Read more