(Photo courtesy Water Management Research Unit, ARS/USDA)

U.S. grains: Corn sags on long liquidation, favourable crop conditions

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell on Friday on technical selling including fund-driven long liquidation along with strong crop prospects amid mostly favourable weather in the U.S. Midwest, analysts said. Wheat futures also declined as the U.S. winter wheat harvest began while soybeans closed firm as traders awaited news from U.S.-China trade talks […] Read more



There’s been enough pretty sunsets this summer — what most want is rain. 
But subsoil moisture and no till have prevented a train wreck so far.

Weather, crop conditions a ‘mixed bag’ for growers

Many came through a late, wet spring better than expected and dry hasn’t equalled disaster — but no one’s expecting a bin buster

Reading Time: 4 minutes For Alberta growers right now, the biggest clouds on the horizon are the lack of them — particularly the ones bringing rain. “It’s a real mixed bag throughout the province with some of the weather conditions that we’ve been dealt,” Rimbey-area producer Jason Lenz said earlier this month. “Certainly the south has some very, very […] Read more




The Northern Lights over Winnipeg as seen from the International Space Station in January 2012. (NASA.gov)

Grain trade still wary of satellite-based StatsCan estimates

CNS Canada — Statistics Canada’s second attempt at using satellite imagery to determine the size of the country’s crops is in line with trade guesses when it comes to canola — but market participants are still taking the new methodology with a grain of salt. The model-based principal field crop estimates, released Tuesday, are calculated […] Read more



Alberta crop report

Alberta crop report

Crop conditions as of July 28, 2015

Reading Time: 2 minutes The continuation of moderate temperatures combined with wide spread shower activity throughout the province have placed crops are under less stress and crop condition ratings have stabilized at 30 per cent rated good or excellent. The precipitation received this week has provided modest improvements to soil moisture ratings. Surface moisture ratings increased 2 points to […] Read more