Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures rose 2.2 per cent on Monday, supported by hopes for a pick-up in the pace of exports as farmers in top global consumer China struggle with hot and dry weather that is expected to reduce the size of the crop there. “It appears that exporters […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybean and wheat futures rise 2.2 per cent
Chicago corn futures firm
China’s farmers struggle to save crops as heatwave, drought drag on
Chongqing | Reuters — As the tinder-dry countryside along China’s Yangtze river basin withers under a heatwave that has lasted more than two months, veteran farmer Chen Xiaohua recalled the last severe drought to hit his crops more than 60 years ago. “This year is drier than 1960,” said Chen, 68, from his plot of […] Read more
Iqaluit declares state of emergency over water shortage
Ottawa | Reuters — The northern Canadian city of Iqaluit declared a state of emergency on Friday after scarce rain this year left water levels in the local Apex River at a four-decade low. Iqaluit warned it may not have enough water in its reservoir to sustain its population of about 7,800 when a freeze-up […] Read more
Prairie drought spurs record imports via Trois-Rivieres
G3 terminal reports record incoming grain handle
Agrifood firms unable to source enough grain domestically due to last year’s drought have imported a record amount through a major St. Lawrence River grain terminal this year. Winnipeg grain handler G3, whose grain terminal at Trois-Rivieres, Que. has storage capacity for 109,000 tonnes, reported Wednesday the terminal has so far unloaded over 160,000 tonnes […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Prices lower despite mixed growing conditions
MarketsFarm — While not as widespread as last year’s historic drought, some parts of Alberta are still struggling with hot and dry conditions. Suzanne Leclerc, owner of Market Master Ltd. in Edmonton, said growing conditions for feed grains across the province are varied. “As usual for the last couple of years, such a mixed review,” […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Saskatchewan crops growing well despite threats
MarketsFarm – Pulse crops across Saskatchewan are growing well for the most part, but not in every corner of the province, according to the province’s own specialist. Dale Risula, special crops specialist for Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Agriculture, said this year’s pulse crops are looking much better than those in last year’s drought, which he called […] Read more
Optimism has returned with the rains for the cattle sector
Producers still dealing with drought fallout, but looking ahead to better days
Reading Time: 4 minutes Cattle producers are feeling cautiously hopeful, thanks to June and July rains. “It’s a sigh of huge relief, as least what I experienced in this area — it’s just a burden of worry lifted,” said Fred Lozeman, who farms with his cousin, runs two herds and operates a 2,000-head feedlot west of Claresholm. “There were […] Read more
Weather swing prompts questions on spray water quality
Many areas have seen significant changes in water quality, which can affect the impact of herbicides
Reading Time: 2 minutes You may think you know what to expect when drawing water for the sprayer. That assumption may come at a cost, says expert Tom Wolf of Agrimetrix Research and Training. Swings in weather, from drought last year to wet this year, can affect water quality, said the author of the popular blog, Sprayers 101. “Things […] Read more
Sizzling heat stresses livestock, crops in southern U.S. Plains
Chicago | Reuters — Scorching temperatures in the southern U.S. Plains are stressing cattle as well as crops such as cotton, corn and soybeans, meteorologists and traders said on Tuesday. Temperatures were forecast to reach 111 F (44 C) in parts of the Texas Panhandle, a core area for cotton and cattle production. While much […] Read more
More than 200 people die as drought ravages northeast Uganda
Kampala | Reuters — More than 200 people have died from hunger this month in northeastern Uganda, where a prolonged drought and rampant insecurity have left more than half a million facing starvation, a local official and a charity worker said. Inhabited by nomadic pastoralists, the semi-arid and remote Karamoja region on the border with […] Read more