Reading Time: 3 minutes New funding for an innovative conservation program could help reduce flood risk in Alberta’s largest city. The charitable arm of Intact Financial Corporation — the country’s largest provider of property and casualty insurance — is giving nearly $250,000 in funding for ALUS Canada to develop natural infrastructure projects in four communities across Canada, including two […] Read more

Farmers in three provinces tapped to help reduce flood risk
A $250,000 investment will see 46 farmers establish and maintain 365 acres of wetland projects

U.S. grains: Soy down fourth straight week on export worries, big supplies
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures eased on Friday for a sixth consecutive session, posting a fourth straight weekly drop as rain-delayed U.S. corn planting may fuel a shift to more soybean acres despite sluggish export demand from top importer China. Corn edged upward for a seventh straight day and notched its first weekly […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: Currency, swine fever weigh on prices
MarketsFarm — A strong U.S. dollar and China’s prolonged battle with African swine fever have turned Chicago Board of Trade markets largely bearish. “We’re seeing a slew of positive [economic] news out of the U.S., and a rallying dollar that has been strong for four out of five sessions,” said Terry Reilly, a grains analyst […] Read more

USDA won’t survey for volume of grain lost to March floods
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s statistical arm will not collect data on the volume of harvested grain lost when farms from the Dakotas to Missouri were hit by flooding in March that burst grain storage bins, a government official said on Tuesday. However, figures in USDA’s regular quarterly stocks report for […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: Markets brace for weather, trade war
MarketsFarm — With the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s world agriculture supply and demand estimates (WASDE) report in the rearview mirror, the Chicago Board of Trade is trading largely on weather forecasts and flood reports. Markets did react, however, when the WASDE report dropped on Tuesday. “We did see some short covering in the market yesterday […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn, soy up a bit on weather woes, trade hopes
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures closed higher on Wednesday on light technical buying as a blizzard bore down on portions of the Plains and Midwest, threatening to delay plantings, analysts said. Wheat futures fell, recording a fifth straight lower close, as traders focused on plentiful world supplies. Chicago Board of Trade […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Corn acreage predicted to be flat
MarketsFarm — Experts predict corn acreage will be flat in Western Canada in 2019. While flooding remains a concern to many this spring, years of dry summers have impacted soil conditions to the point where a wet spring may be a welcome reprieve. “I’m more concerned about how much moisture we will have gained because […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybeans bounce ahead of USDA data
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures inched higher on Thursday as traders covered shorts and squared positions a day after a steep drop to four-month lows and on the eve of U.S. government stocks and planting reports. Corn futures were flat as improving crop prospects in South America offset concerns about flooding in the […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: Markets at mercy of weather
MarketsFarm — Traders are bracing for more inclement weather to hit the U.S. Midwest, which in turn could rock commodities. Springtime floods and adverse weather have impacted the majority of the U.S. Plains and Midwest, and those regions expect another snow system before the end of March. Flooding may delay planting dates, causing farmers to […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle retreat on technical selling, fund liquidation
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell for a third straight session on Tuesday on technical selling and fund long liquidation following the market’s recent climb to one-year highs, traders said. Open interest in live cattle futures was expected to be lower for a second straight session after hitting an all-time […] Read more