Crops
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Board of Trade corn and soybean futures climbed to two-week highs on Monday amid concerns about stressful hot weather in the U.S. and Europe coupled with positioning ahead of a monthly U.S. government crop report, traders said. Wheat futures also advanced, following the firmer trend. A setback in the U.S. […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, soy at two-week highs on weather worries
Soil scientist offers recipe for better soil health
More earthworm slime and protozoa excretions? You betcha!
Reading Time: 3 minutes You can’t control Mother Nature, but you can have some control over the health of your soil. At a recent workshop, soil scientist Jill Clapperton outlined some visible indicators of soil health, and described a few things producers could do to improve their soil. “If you have healthy plants, you have an excellent indicator that […] Read more
Beat high winds by anchoring your bins
More extreme weather coupled with modern bins that are taller and lighter is a recipe for trouble
Reading Time: 3 minutes It doesn’t matter what side of the climate change debate you’re on, few producers would deny that, for whatever reason, weather is getting more extreme. Between hurricane-force winds and the generally lighter and taller designs of many modern grain bins, there seems to be more instances of grain bins being knocked over or otherwise damaged. […] Read more
Cutting through the clutter on bin aeration
What equipment you need and when to aerate are just two of many questions when it comes to protecting grain in the bin
Reading Time: 5 minutes With hot and dry conditions throughout much of this year’s growing season, proper aeration of grain has become more important than ever in order to prevent overheated grain or spoilage. At the same time, there’s a never-ending parade of new aeration solutions on the market, creating a lot of confusion among growers looking for better […] Read more
Above average temperatures see crops progress quickly
Alberta crop conditions as of August 4, 2015
Reading Time: < 1 minute Crops were under significant stress this past week with the return of above average temperatures breaking a four-week period of moderate conditions during which most crops were able to move through their very sensitive reproductive stage. Combined with limited precipitation in the more northerly regions, provincial crop condition ratings declined only minimally based upon a […] Read more
Over-the-border canola crusher gets new owner
A major canola crush plant that faced an unclear future just south of the Canada/U.S. border has a new owner in one of the States’ top agribusinesses. Ag co-operative CHS Inc. last week sealed its deal to buy Northstar Agri Industries at Hallock, Minnesota, about 40 km southeast of Manitoba’s main U.S. border crossing at Emerson. The Northstar […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans rally on eroding crop prospects
Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. soybean futures jumped more than two per cent on Friday and registered their first weekly gain in five weeks, helped by signs of improving export demand and expectations that the U.S. government will trim its harvest forecast in a monthly crop report next week. Corn and wheat futures firmed on […] Read more
K+S rejects PotashCorp offer, promises on German mines
Frankfurt | Reuters — German salt and fertilizer company K+S AG once again rejected PotashCorp’s takeover offer Friday, saying the Canadian company’s assurances about maintaining jobs and mine sites in Germany were unreliable. Saskatoon-based PotashCorp sent an unsolicited letter to K+S’s management and supervisory boards, K+S said in a statement. The letter included a proposal […] Read more
Cargill posts Q4 loss on one-time charges, revenue down
Reuters — Cargill Inc. on Thursday became the latest large agribusiness to report disappointing quarterly results as one-time charges and slowing economies in key emerging markets stung the privately held global commodities trader. Minnesota-based Cargill said it lost a net $51 million in the fiscal fourth quarter ended May 31, compared with a profit of […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans, corn dip on disappointing exports, better weather
Winnipeg | Reuters — Soybean and corn futures slipped on Thursday, pressured by disappointing U.S. export sales, forecasts for mostly favorable Midwest weather and technical selling. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) wheat rose on better-than-expected export sales. “We had a nice bounce in corn and soybeans, so it’s a technical pullback,” said Arlan Suderman, senior […] Read more