Manitoba’s ag department is forecasting oats could be the biggest money maker this year. There’s a lot of good data in the report but growers here expect canola will be No. 1 and barley a good choice, too.

Forecasting the future: What crop will be king in the coming year?

Oats is being touted as the profitability champion, but canola’s reign also looks set to continue

Reading Time: 4 minutes Scott Keller is pretty impressed with the latest crop profitability outlook from Manitoba’s Ag Department — but he’s not buying its prediction that oats will be this year’s No. 1 money-maker. Canola is still king and its reign isn’t going to end any time soon, said the grain farmer from New Norway. “Nothing will even […] Read more

ICE May 2022 canola (candlesticks) with 20- and 50-day moving averages (yellow and dark green lines). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola finding plenty of support

MarketsFarm — ICE canola futures climbed to fresh contract highs during the week ended Wednesday, as activity in outside markets and canola’s own tight supply situation provided support. “Outside forces help it, but there are also things unique to the canola market that are supportive,” said David Derwin, commodities investment advisor with PI Financial in […] Read more


“Drought conditions and early-season insect pressure proved to be incredibly challenging and contributed to a lower number of successful trial sites.” – Canola Performance Trials website.

Despite the conditions, canola trials went ahead last year

The results from the 2021 Canola Performance Trials are now available, along with past results

Reading Time: 2 minutes It wasn’t a great year for putting top canola varieties through their paces, but the results of the 2021 Canola Performance Trials are in and now available at canolaperformancetrials.ca. The trials “represent the next generation in variety evaluation for western Canadian canola growers,” states the website. The initiative, funded by Alberta Canola and its sister […] Read more

(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