Reuters — Egypt’s supply ministry moved to clarify rules on wheat imports on Thursday, saying it would allow shipments with traces of the grain fungus ergot to enter the country. Wheat traders have been concerned that uncertainty over payment and inspection terms in Egypt, the world’s biggest wheat importer, would dampen export demand. The problem […] Read more
Egypt moves to clarify ergot rules on wheat imports
Prairie spring wheat bids move higher
CNS Canada –– Cash spring wheat bids across Western Canada moved higher during the week ended Friday, as U.S. futures also rose during that timeframe. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat prices were up by C$9-$10 per tonne during the period, according to price quotes from a cross-section of delivery points across the Prairie […] Read more
U.S. wheat up with short-covering, but more downside possible
CNS Canada — U.S. wheat futures hit contract lows over the past week, before seeing a short-covering correction in recent days. However, with ample world supplies and poor export demand, the path of least resistance likely remains lower, according to market participants. The fundamentals are pretty bearish for wheat, but the market structure is looking […] Read more
Genetic codebreaking on wheat years ahead of schedule
Sequencing the infamously complex genome for bread wheat — a game-changing task for wheat breeding that’s been estimated to take four or five more years — may now just take another couple of years, following a milestone announced Wednesday. The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC), a team co-led by Canadian researchers, announced Wednesday it […] Read more
Egypt’s new wheat requirement could delay supplies
Cairo/Abu Dhabi | Reuters — Egypt, the world’s largest purchaser of wheat, has imposed restrictive import requirements, an agricultural authority official told Reuters, alarming traders who threatened to boycott tenders for the politically sensitive commodity. The new requirement — for a complete absence of ergot, a common fungus found in grains — could disrupt the […] Read more
Ardent restarts Illinois flour mill after flooding
Chicago | Reuters –– The largest U.S. flour miller, Ardent Mills, has resumed operations in Alton, Illinois, as floodwaters along the Mississippi River receded while a mill at Chester, Ill. will remain down for weeks, company executives said Tuesday. Near record-high floodwaters following deadly winter storms forced the company to shut down the mills a […] Read more
Prairie spring wheat bids down with U.S. futures
CNS Canada — Cash spring wheat bids across Western Canada moved lower during the two-week holiday period ending Thursday (Dec. 31), as the U.S. futures also drifted lower during that time frame. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat prices were down by C$7-$8 per tonne during the two-week period, according to price quotes from […] Read more
Russian ministry proposes reducing wheat export tax
Moscow | Reuters — Russia’s agriculture ministry has proposed that the government reduce or cancel its wheat export tax due to rouble volatility and a decline in global wheat benchmarks, the Interfax news agency reported, citing first deputy minister Evgenii Gromyko. The rouble has lost about six per cent against the U.S. dollar since the […] Read more
Prairie spring wheat bids rise with U.S. futures
CNS Canada –– Cash spring wheat bids across Western Canada moved higher during the week ended Monday, as gains in U.S. futures and continued weakness in the Canadian dollar both provided support. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat prices were up by C$3-$6 per tonne during the week, according to price quotes from a […] Read more
Alta. to tweak farm worker bill for ‘clarity’
With consultations only just out of the gate and the legislation awaiting second reading, the Alberta government already plans to amend Bill 6, its farm and ranch worker protection bill, for “greater clarity.” While not mentioning recent vocal protests over the bill, provincial Labour Minister Lori Sigurdson announced Tuesday the bill will be amended to “make clear what […] Read more
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