Liberia-flagged bulker K Sukret, carrying grain under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, waits for inspection in the southern anchorage of Istanbul on May 17, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Mehmet Emin Caliskan)

UN asks Putin to extend Black Sea grain deal in return for SWIFT access

Grain export initiative to expire Monday otherwise

United Nations | Reuters — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin that he extend a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of grain from Ukraine in return for connecting a subsidiary of Russia’s agricultural bank to the SWIFT international payment system, sources told Reuters. Russia has threatened to ditch […] Read more

ICE November 2023 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola climbs on weather worries

Demand rationing also seen as supportive

MarketsFarm — The ICE Futures canola market moved steadily higher during the week ended Wednesday, hitting its strongest levels in more than four months as bullish chart signals and production uncertainty across the Prairies provided support. A bearish reaction in the Chicago soy complex to the latest supply/demand estimates (WASDE) from the U.S. Department of […] Read more


(Christophe Paul photo courtesy USDA)

CBOT weekly outlook: Markets react bearishly to WASDE report

Traders were expecting reduced U.S. corn yield

MarketsFarm — The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) saw futures come down after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its monthly world agricultural supply and demand estimates (WASDE) on Wednesday. Corn prices were 18 cents per bushel lower on the day, while soybeans lost 27-33 cents (all figures US$). Chicago soft wheat shed 24-28 […] Read more

Canola growers could now qualify for up to $20,000 to adopt 4R nitrogen management techniques.

Feds up the ante for canola growers adopting 4R

Cash available more than triples in second year of Canola 4R Advantage

Reading Time: 4 minutes The federal government has loosened the purse strings for canola producers hoping to set up select 4R nutrient management practices on their farms. Applicants to the Canola 4R Advantage program can now seek up to $20,000 in assistance for each of three (possibly four) eligible 4R best management practices, compared to $6,000 per BMP in […] Read more


Pea growers urged to keep score on ascochyta

Pea growers urged to keep score on ascochyta

Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta farmers have a new tool to manage ascochyta blight in field peas. The Alberta Pulse Growers have added a disease ‘scorecard’ to its app to help pea growers make the decision on whether or not to spray. Ascochyta blight is the most destructive foliar disease of peas in Western Canada and around the world. […] Read more

Barley. (Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Australia disappointed with China move to extend barley tariffs review

Tariff wall in place since 2020

Sydney | Reuters — Australia said on Wednesday it was disappointed that China has asked for another month to complete a review needed to lift tariffs on barley and warned it would resume a case at the World Trade Organization (WTO) if there was further delay. Australia on April 11 agreed to temporarily suspend a […] Read more


Aerial view of Centerm, a Burrard Inlet terminal for containerized cargo at the Port of Vancouver. (Bloodua/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: B.C. port strike drags on exports

Cargoes either stuck at port or held at home

MarketsFarm — As the 11-day-old port workers strike in British Columbia continued to impede exports from Canada’s West Coast, Marcos Mosnaim of Export Packers said the work stoppage was taking a toll on the country’s pulse exports — specifically those exported by container. “So you have cargo held in Vancouver or on its way to […] Read more

CBOT November 2023 soybeans with 20- and 100-day moving averages and August 2023 soybeans (yellow line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy climbs on supply worries ahead of USDA reports

Chicago wheat, corn also rise

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose for a second straight session on Tuesday as traders braced for a monthly U.S. government crop report due on Wednesday that is expected to project a smaller crop and tighter supplies, analysts said. Wheat futures rose as a drone strike on Ukraine’s Odesa port returned attention to […] Read more


Nutrien’s head office building in Saskatoon. (Liam O’Connor photo)

Nutrien cuts output as West Coast port strike hits day 11

Longshore union, management met Monday night, source says

Ottawa | Reuters — The world’s biggest fertilizer producer Nutrien cut production on Tuesday, citing the impact of a 11-day-old strike in Canada’s Pacific ports whose cost has now ballooned to an estimated $6 billion. Some 7,500 dock workers represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada) walked off on July 1 after […] Read more

Forage U-Pick’s pivot to a nationally focused tool is a step in the right direction, says Julie MacKenzie. “Sometimes we forget about our western Canadian producers who identify as francophone. We have different francophone producers out there in Alberta and Saskatchewan and that creates an opportunity for them.”

Forage U-Pick: The Tinder for forages?

Online forage tool expands nationwide

Reading Time: 4 minutes A hard-working rancher in central Alberta seeks a sturdy native grass ideally suited for mob grazing and a long-lasting stand. That might seem like something from an online dating profile but it’s more likely to be a query for a newly expanded matchmaking site that aims to connect beef producers with the perfect forage. Since […] Read more