Drought conditions in Canada at Feb. 28, 2022. (Map courtesy Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Most of Prairies still very dry, but recovery possible

Southern Manitoba considered out of drought

MarketsFarm — Despite the Prairies receiving above-normal amounts of precipitation during February, the great majority of the region remained highly vulnerable to more dryness going into spring, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor. The monitor’s latest report showed those areas of the Prairies tackling extreme drought to have retracted somewhat. As of Feb. 28, that […] Read more

Fall rye flowering in south-central Manitoba. (Allan Dawson photo)

Rye in strong position going into 2022

MarketsFarm — Last summer’s drought sharply reduced yields of many crops across the Prairies, leaving multiple supply challenges and rising prices in the aftermath. Western Canadian rye, however, was largely left unscathed, which may bode well for the crop heading into 2022. Rye production came in at 473,000 tonnes for 2021-22, according to Statistics Canada […] Read more


(Alkestida/iStock/Getty Images)

Italian ministry tells firms to source durum from Canada

Rome | Reuters — In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Italian firms can source durum wheat from Canada, the Italian industry ministry said in a statement following meetings on Wednesday with various firms and associations. The statement added that alternative suppliers for clay, iron and sunflower seeds had not yet been found. Ukraine […] Read more

The percentage of positive fusarium test samples is down fourfold from 2019 and that bodes well for this year.

A small silver lining in 2021: Drought pushes down fusarium levels

And planting fusarium-free seed gives growers a chance to push them down a bit further

Reading Time: 3 minutes Last summer’s drought drove down fusarium head blight levels across the province. But it’s still lurking, and increasingly that’s happening in parts of the province that have been spared in the past. “This year, just over five per cent of samples that we’re testing from Alberta have been positive for fusarium graminearum,” said Trevor Blois, […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Saskatchewan forage rainfall insurance to adjust for hot spells

SCIC also expanding crop roster for contract price option

Saskatchewan forage and corn growers whose crops are insured against below-normal rainfall can expect a beneficial bump starting this year if those crops get cooked in high heat. The Saskatchewan and federal governments on Tuesday announced details for their 2022 crop insurance program — under which average coverage is expected to reach $405 per acre, […] Read more

File photo of a pea crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: Four factors to consider before going with peas

MarketsFarm — There are four factors to consider before deciding whether to plant dry peas this spring, according to Darryl Domitruk, executive director of Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers at Carman, Man. The first is field selection, as peas need to be planted with less residuals such as nitrates, Domitruk said. “Pulses manufacture their own […] Read more


(JohnnyMad/Getty Images)

Rising prices could lead to more mustard acres

MarketsFarm — A further tightening in Canada’s mustard supply is the main culprit in recent price spikes for the seed. Yellow mustard in Western Canada has a high-delivered bid of $1.61/lb., up 10 cents from last month and $1.18 higher than last year, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire data. Over the past month, the high-delivered […] Read more

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Flooding in Manitoba hinges on coming spring melt

MarketsFarm — Manitoba’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre (HFC) released an initial spring flood outlook report Friday citing the risk of moderate to major flooding in most the province’s southern basins. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk said the amount of flooding will depend on weather conditions from now until spring melt. The HFC advised that, while […] Read more


One Canada Square (tower at centre) houses the London head office of the International Grains Council. (Iliffd/iStock/Getty Images)

World soybean output, stocks estimates chopped

MarketsFarm — Downward revisions to soybean numbers stand out the most in February’s grain market report from the International Grains Council (IGC). Otherwise, the monthly estimates have minor alterations. The IGC cut its forecast on 2021-22 global soybean production by four per cent from its January report, bringing its projection to 353.1 million tonnes. The […] 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