An increase in Canadian grain traffic helped support Canadian National Railway’s third-quarter revenues, though the costs of increased traffic ate at its bottom line. Montreal-based CN on Tuesday reported net income of $958 million on total revenues of $3.221 billion for the quarter ending Sept. 30, down from $972 million on $3.014 billion in the […] Read more

Grain handle helps lift CN quarterly revenue

Prairie grain freight cost index to rise with fuel prices
An “expected sharp rise” in fuel costs in 2017 compared to 2016 may help raise the cap on how much money Canada’s big two railways can charge to move Prairie grain in 2017-18. The Canadian Transportation Agency — the tribunal which, among its other duties, sets the annual maximum revenue entitlements (MREs) on Prairie grain […] Read more

Diesel prices remain high across Prairies
CNS Canada — While the price of crude oil continues to decline across North American markets, diesel remains stubbornly high in Western Canada. Prices are equal to gasoline, or in some cases, exceeding them by as much as 10 cents in some Saskatchewan and Manitoba locations. “Diesel production in the West has been crimped by […] Read more

Canola and barley markets offer opportunities in a time of low crop prices
Fundamentals favourable for canola and barley but not other grains and oilseeds, says commodity strategist Moe Agostino
Reading Time: 2 minutes In a time of flat or falling prices, canola and barley offer a little ray of hope, according to Moe Agostino, chief commodity strategist with Farms.com Risk Management. Tight supply is positive for canola, but the key is strong demand fuelled by the plunge in the Canadian dollar, Agostino told a packed room at FarmTech. […] Read more

Crop prices tied to petroleum and that’s not good for farmers
British economist says the biofuel boom led to a massive increase in production of grains and oilseeds, which firmly linked agriculture to energy markets
Reading Time: 2 minutes Producers in the FarmTech conference room looked crestfallen after David Jackson told them the global oilseed market is tied to petroleum — and that oil prices will remain low for a long time. “A lot of it is out of your control,” said the British economist and director of oilseeds at LMC International, a global […] Read more

Diesel prices to soften in January, analyst says
CNS Canada — Prices for diesel are expected to come down to between $1 to $1.10 per litre across Canada by early to mid-January, according to an oil analyst. Prices for regular gasoline sank weeks ago, shortly after crude oil plunged on the world market. Diesel, however, remained staggeringly high and is still listed at […] Read more