File photo of a canola crop south of Ethelton, Sask. in 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Canada’s drought forces canola importers to turn elsewhere

'Importers...are going to be left out in the cold'

Winnipeg | Reuters — Canada’s smallest canola harvest in 13 years, resulting from severe drought, is forcing importers like Japan and Mexico to pay more or scour other countries for the yellow-flowering oilseed. With the scant available Canadian canola fetching high prices, customers of the world’s biggest canola exporter are leaning more heavily on smaller-producing […] Read more

File photo of hogs on a farm in the Dominican Republic. (RD-SunPhotography/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. puts up funds to prevent African swine fever

Haiti, Dominican Republic now 'countries of concern' on CFIA list

Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday pledged up to US$500 million to prevent the spread of the fatal pig virus African swine fever, after Haiti and the Dominican Republic recently confirmed outbreaks. A U.S. outbreak would likely slash U.S. pork exports and pig prices, hurting farmers and meat companies such […] Read more


File photo of a steak sandwich with chimichurri sauce at a street food market in Buenos Aires. (Aleksandr_Vorobev/iStock/Getty Images)

Argentina to restart beef exports to China after caps lifted

Buenos Aires | Reuters — Argentina on Tuesday said it would once again allow cattle farmers to freely export beef to China, lifting a cap imposed earlier this year that had stoked tensions with the agricultural sector. The government had capped beef exports at 50 per cent of the normal volumes to tamp down fast-rising […] Read more

CBOT December 2021 corn (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and dark green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn futures up on firm cash markets

Soybeans post modest gains

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures rose about two per cent on Monday, rallying from early declines on support from tight domestic cash markets and spillover strength from crude oil futures, analysts said. Soybean futures climbed as China booked several U.S. cargos of the oilseed but wheat futures ended narrowly mixed. Chicago Board of […] Read more



(Xinzheng/Getty Images)

‘Two Michaels’ have left China, Trudeau says

Huawei CFO en route back to China

Ottawa | Reuters — Two Canadian citizens who were detained by Beijing for more than 1,000 days have left Chinese airspace and will arrive back in Canada early on Saturday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Friday. Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were picked up in December 2018, shortly after Vancouver police arrested Huawei Technologies […] Read more


(LDC video screengrab via YouTube)

Dreyfus, others shut soy crushers in China on power curbs

'Cash is on fire'

Beijing | Reuters — Soymeal prices in China, the world’s top consumer of the animal feed ingredient, are rising after at least 20 soybean crushing plants shuttered to comply with curbs on industrial power consumption, industry participants said on Friday. Five crushing plants in the northern city of Tianjin closed this week, said Tianfeng Futures […] Read more

CBOT December 2021 wheat (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and dark green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat finds two-week high on strong global demand

Corn, soybeans little changed; wider markets encourage consolidation

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures firmed on Friday, ending near a two-week high as the market assessed mixed global production prospects and brisk import demand. Corn eased as supply pressure from the ongoing U.S. harvest countered background support from tight supplies, while soybeans inched higher after trading both sides of even. The most-active […] Read more


Huawei Technologies CFO Meng Wanzhou leaves her home to attend a court hearing in Vancouver on Sept. 24, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Jesse Winter)

Huawei executive, U.S. reach deal to dismiss charges

Meng Wanzhou would be allowed to leave Canada

Updated, Sept. 24 — Reuters — Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou has reached an agreement with U.S. prosecutors to end the bank fraud case against her, U.S. prosecutors said on Friday, a move that should allow her to leave Canada and relieve a point of tension between China and the United States. Meng was […] Read more

CME October 2021 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (dark red line) and cash lean hog index (pink line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs firm on China’s herd restrictions

Cattle mixed to lower ahead of report

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures firmed on Thursday, after China lowered its sow herd targets in an effort to ensure supply and stabilize prices. China’s ministry of agriculture and rural affairs said the target for its sow herd was now around 41 million head for 2021-2025 and should be […] Read more