(Richardson International video screengrab via YouTube)

Richardson crush plant staff ward off strike vote

Unionized staff at Lethbridge vote to ratify new contract

Unionized staff at Richardson International’s canola crush plant at Lethbridge have voted for six years’ labour peace rather than proceeding toward a strike vote. The 140-odd workers, represented by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 401, voted Feb. 1-2 on a new proposal from the company after voting 79 per cent in December to […] Read more

ICE March 2022 canola (candlesticks, right column) with November 2022 canola (yellow line, left column). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Rangebound canola market consolidating

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts moved lower during the week ended Wednesday before uncovering some support, as the commodity remained stuck in a range after trending higher for most of the past year. “Canola is caught in a rangebound, consolidation phase,” said MarketsFarm Pro analyst Mike Jubinville. The relative stability in canola, he said, […] Read more


Chevraux new chair of Alberta Canola

Chevraux new chair of Alberta Canola

Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Canola has a new chair, vice-chair and one director — but still has two spots to fill on its 12-person board. Roger Chevraux of Killam is the new chair and his vice-chair role is now being filled by Ian Chitwood of Airdrie. As well, Charles Simoneau from Guy steps on to the board as […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

StatsCan confirms tight grain and oilseed stocks

Canadian corn stocks up on year

MarketsFarm — Canada’s tight supplies of canola, wheat and other crops following the 2021 Prairie drought received more confirmation from Statistics Canada with the release of updated stocks data on Tuesday. Canola stocks, as of Dec. 31, 2021, of 7.6 million tonnes were down 43 per cent from the previous year and the tightest since […] Read more



(Richardson International video screengrab via YouTube)

Richardson crush plant workers to vote on new offer

UFCW team endorses latest offer

Unionized workers at Richardson International’s oilseed crush plant at Lethbridge, Alta. will vote Tuesday and Wednesday on a new offer from the company after rejecting a previous proposal. United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 401 announced Tuesday (Jan. 25) its negotiating committee “fully endorses” the new offer after the company’s Richardson Oilseed division “enhanced […] Read more

ICE March 2022 canola (candlesticks, right column) with November 2022 canola (yellow line, left column). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola in stratosphere as old-, new-crop gaps narrows

MarketsFarm — With so many influences affecting ICE Futures canola, one trader said it’s hard to figure just where the Canadian oilseed will go. Another trader, however, said the days of canola fetching more than $1,000 per tonne for an extended period of time are pretty much over. “It’s probably the craziest period we ever […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Larger Canadian crops predicted in AAFC’s first 2022 outlook

MarketsFarm — A return to trend-line yields after the past year’s drought should lead to a significant increase in Canadian crop production in 2022, according to the first supply/demand estimates for the 2022-23 season from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), released late Friday. Seeded area is expected to be up for wheat and the pulses, […] Read more

ICE March 2022 canola (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, green and black lines). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Choppy canola trade expected

Old-crop 'likely pushing the upper limits'

MarketsFarm — A speculative selloff weighed heavily on the ICE Futures canola market during the week ended Wednesday, before the selling subsided and prices regained much of their lost ground. “For prices this high, that’s pretty routine stuff,” said Ken Ball of PI Financial in Winnipeg on the $80 per tonne drop in the nearby […] Read more