The international body overseeing countries’ animal disease control measures has assigned Canada the lowest level of risk for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) — a move which stands to help clear away lingering trade barriers against Canadian beef. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) on Thursday announced it has delivered “negligible risk” status for BSE […] Read more

OIE ruling turns page on BSE in Canada
Canada's BSE status upgraded to 'negligible risk'

U.S. requests CUSMA dispute panel on Canadian dairy quotas
TRQs improperly allocated, USTR alleges
Washington | Reuters — The Biden administration on Tuesday escalated a simmering trade dispute with Canada over dairy import quotas, requesting that the first dispute settlement panel under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement be formed to review the matter. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office said its complaint alleges that Canada was improperly allocating CUSMA tariff-rate import quotas […] Read more

Dry weather may cut into Canadian crop prospects, AAFC says
MarketsFarm — Dry weather conditions across Western Canada could cut into production prospects in the region, according to updated supply/demand tables released Thursday by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “Extremely dry conditions prevail in large parts of Western Canada, allowing for rapid seeding progress which is trending ahead of normal; however, timely precipitation this spring and […] Read more

La Nina done, U.S. CPC says
Neutral weather likely through summer
Reuters — A U.S. government weather forecaster said on Thursday La Nina has ended and El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) neutral conditions are likely to continue through the Northern Hemisphere summer. “ENSO neutral” refers to periods in which neither El Nino nor La Nina is present, often coinciding with the transition between the two weather patterns, […] Read more

JBS able to pass on higher grain costs in North America
Sao Paulo | Reuters — JBS SA, the world’s largest meatpacker, has been able to pass higher grain costs on to consumer prices because food demand is strong in markets such as the U.S. and Canada, executives said in an earnings call Thursday. In Brazil, where higher feed prices have dented margins of the company’s […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Chickpea acres ‘sharply’ down
MarketsFarm — Despite prices higher than last year’s, Canada’s chickpea acres are expected to decline this year and, in turn, will result in less production in the 2021-22 crop year. High-delivered bids for Kabuli chickpeas, the type most commonly grown in Canada, run from 25 to 35 cents/lb., three to seven cents higher than last […] Read more

USDA expects record world wheat crop in 2021-22
MarketsFarm — The latest U.S. forecast puts world wheat production at a new record in 2021-22, with bigger crops in a number of countries more than offsetting expected decreases in Canada and Australia. According to the first outlook for the marketing year from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, total world wheat production for 2021-22 is […] Read more

Walmart locks in CRSB claim for in-store beef brand
Chain to be first retailer in Canada with certified-sustainable label on pack
The Canadian arm of Walmart has locked in enough of a supply of certified-sustainable beef to label its entire Your Fresh Market burger patty line accordingly. The retail giant announced Monday it’s now sourcing beef from “certified sustainable” farms and ranches according to standards set by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB). The company […] Read more

‘Extreme drought’ expands in Prairies
Southern Manitoba, southeastern Saskatchewan parched
MarketsFarm — The newly released map from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Drought Monitor (CDM) shows the Prairies’ ongoing drought getting worse. According to AAFC’s nationwide map released on Friday, southwestern Manitoba, parts of southern Saskatchewan and the southeast corner of Alberta are under CDM’s classification of Extreme (D3) drought as of April 30. Communities […] Read more

Morocco reimposing 170 per cent duty on hard wheat
Rabat | Reuters — Morocco will reimpose customs duty on soft and hard wheat of 135 and 170 per cent respectively from May 15 in order to cut imports at a time of higher prices in international markets, the agriculture ministry said Monday. The government had said last week the duties would be reintroduced from […] Read more