Louise and Percy Schmeiser. (Mary Lou Schechtel photo courtesy Mongrel Media)

Farmer and activist Percy Schmeiser, 89

Thorn in Monsanto's side also the subject of a new major film

Funeral services are to be held and livestreamed Saturday for Prairie farmer, businessman and activist Percy Schmeiser, best known for his ultimately unsuccessful court battles with the company behind Roundup Ready canola. Schmeiser, who farmed at Bruno, Sask., about 90 km east of Saskatoon, died Tuesday at age 89. According to Saskatchewan media, he had […] Read more

ICE November 2020 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola firm at midweek

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts have steadied after slipping slightly following Canada’s Thanksgiving long weekend, with nearby attention on speculations rolling positions out of the front month. The nearby November contract closed Wednesday at $526.10 per tonne, gaining slightly after incurring losses the day prior. Market participants adjusting positions ahead of the November contract’s […] Read more


Detail from the front of the CBOT building in Chicago. (Vito Palmisano/iStock/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly outlook: Soy, corn could retest highs

Wheat now 'doing its own thing'

MarketsFarm — Soybean and corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade backed away from nearby highs over the past week, but could be poised to retest those levels as the underlying fundamentals remain supportive. “I think we’ll need another headline of sorts, whether it be a weather or sales numbers (headline), to push corn […] Read more

(Jack Dykinga photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Brazil millers oppose sale of GMO wheat

Importing costs would rise, Abitrigo says, as Argentina approves new wheat

Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazilian wheat millers association Abitrigo opposes the approval of genetically modified wheat products for sale in Brazil, saying it will make imports of the cereal more costly and impact prices on the domestic market. The statement comes after Argentine authorities approved a new genetically modified wheat that can resist drought […] Read more


CBOT November 2020 soybeans with 20-, 100- and 200-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans up on Chinese buying, Brazil weather

Chicago corn, wheat end higher after mixed day

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures climbed on Wednesday, supported by renewed exports and dryness in top exporter Brazil, traders said. Corn and wheat futures ended higher after trading both sides of even as markets digested conflicting indicators. The most active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade gained 12-1/4 cents to $10.56-1/4 […] Read more

CBOT November 2020 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans rebound from prior day’s plunge

Wheat flat as stronger dollar offsets dryness concerns; corn up on exports to Mexico

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures rose on Tuesday, a day after the market’s largest drop in six months slowed a rash of farmer selling, traders said. Chicago wheat futures rose slightly but were capped by a strong U.S. dollar, while CBOT corn gained on fresh export sales to Mexico. CBOT November soybeans closed […] Read more


Green lentils. (Alexey Shipilov/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Tight supplies push up green lentil prices

Summer exports 'unusually good'

MarketsFarm — Prices for green lentils in Western Canada have been on the upswing, with Lairds rising by between six and 12 cents/lb. “The summer exports were unusually good and are going fairly well right now,” said Marlene Boersch of Mercantile Consulting Venture Inc. in Winnipeg. “People are realizing overall green lentil supplies, primarily in […] Read more

Alberta grain growers have travelled the world on New Crop Missions, but the pandemic will see Canada’s grain sector reach out to potential buyers virtually for the foreseeable future.

New-crop missions grounded, but grain sector has adapted

Pandemic provides the push to create a long-discussed online hub that aims to reach more grain buyers

Reading Time: 3 minutes Team Canada won’t be heading out overseas on a new-crop mission this year. Instead, they’ve got a new way to market wheat to their international consumers. “We used to go to about 17 countries within a span of about six and a half weeks. That is not really possible this year,” said Dean Dias, chief […] Read more


CBOT November 2020 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans fall as harvest pressure fills bulls’ void

Corn follows soybeans lower; wheat ends slightly higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures dropped sharply on Monday, as harvest pressure pushed the market lower, traders said. Corn followed soybeans lower, while wheat ended slightly higher on concerns that dryness across the U.S. Great Plains might limit winter wheat growth. Chicago Board of Trade most-active soybeans fell 31-3/4 cents to $10.33-3/4 per […] Read more

(Video screengrab from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry via YouTube)

Federal fund, Alberta government back irrigation upgrades

Infrastructure Bank lends cash for system improvements

Eight irrigation districts in Alberta are set to tap into the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s new $1.5 billion pool of funding earmarked for irrigation, to receive loans worth about $407.5 million. The Alberta and federal governments on Friday announced a total investment of $815 million — including repayable CIB funds, provincial support and irrigation district contributions […] Read more