Reuters — One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s allies warned on Friday that Russia, a major global wheat exporter, could limit supplies of agriculture products to “friendly” countries only, amid Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis. Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy secretary of […] Read more

Putin ally warns agriculture supplies could be limited to ‘friends’

Canadian and U.S. shippers brace for possible CP strike
Strike notice not yet given
Winnipeg | Reuters — Thousands of workers at Canada’s second-biggest railway, Canadian Pacific Railway, have threatened to strike this week, potentially disrupting the movement of grain, potash and coal at a time of soaring commodity prices. The strike is the latest risk to Canada’s battered supply chain, which last year weathered floods in British Columbia […] Read more

Traders consider exporting Ukraine grain by rail
Lviv | Reuters — Traders are trying to arrange the export of Ukrainian-origin grain by train through western Ukraine’s borders, but the export capacities are very limited, APK-Inform agriculture consultancy said Friday. Ukraine’s state-run railway operator said this week it was ready to organize agricultural exports by rail as a matter of urgency after closure […] Read more

W.A. Grain’s farmer suppliers to get 80 cents on dollar
CGC program to provide $5.6 million of $7.1 million owed
Farmers owed $7.1 million by W.A. Grain and Pulse Solutions, which had facilities in Alberta and Saskatchewan, will get $5.6 million, or about 80 per cent of the money owed to them, via the Canadian Grain Commission’s (CGC) Safeguards for Grain Farmers Program. “While we regret producers didn’t get 100 per cent (of what they […] Read more

Ukraine’s ports to stay closed until Russian invasion ends
London | Reuters — Ukrainian ports will remain closed until Russia’s invasion ends, the head of Ukraine’s Maritime Administration said on Monday, adding that the port of Mariupol has sustained damage from Russian shelling. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, calling its actions a “special operation.” “The ports will be shut until the end of […] Read more

Grain exporters tap EU supplies as war shuts Ukraine ports
Hamburg/Paris | Reuters — Grain exporters are looking for alternative sources of wheat and corn as a Russian invasion cuts off Ukrainian supplies, with European Union producers Romania and France being used to cover some nearby loadings, traders said Friday. The conflict has rattled grain markets, with European wheat futures surging to a record high […] Read more

Ukraine shuts ports as conflict threatens grain supplies
Moscow/Kyiv | Reuters — Ukraine’s military has suspended commercial shipping at its ports after Russian forces invaded the country, an adviser to the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff said, stoking fear of supply disruption from leading grain and oilseeds exporters. Russia earlier ordered the Azov Sea closed to the movement of commercial vessels until further […] Read more

Year-end profits up for CN, CP despite lower grain handles
Railways' ledgers weather drought, B.C. disasters
Both of Canada’s big two railways were able to improve their overall gross and net in 2021 over 2020 despite a yield-robbing drought and disastrous track and bridge washouts in southern British Columbia. Canadian National Railway (CN) on Tuesday reported 2021 net income of $4.892 billion on $14.477 billion in gross revenue, up from $3.784 […] Read more

Thunder Bay shipping season wraps up
MarketsFarm — The last vessel of the shipping season will depart the Port of Thunder Bay on Friday. Grain handling volumes were down on the year, but increases in other categories helped limit the overall reduction in movement through the northern Lake Superior port. The 2021 navigation season will come to a close with the […] Read more

Grain movement to Vancouver picking up
Railways seen recovering from B.C. damages faster than many had expected
Western grain movement to the Port of Vancouver was at 60 per cent of normal as of Dec. 15 and is expected to continually improve, Mark Hemmes, Canada’s grain monitor and president of Quorum Corp. said in an interview Wednesday. “I think by next week it’s going to look a lot better,” he said. “Is […] Read more