CBOT December 2018 wheat, with 200-day moving average. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans, corn ease in technical setback

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures eased on Wednesday in a technical selling setback following two days of gains despite concerns that rainy weather in parts of the Midwest would delay harvesting and possibly damage some crops. Corn futures also fell as technical selling more than offset support from strong demand and potential harvest […] Read more



U.S. grains: Bigger-than-expected supplies knock down prices

U.S. grains: Bigger-than-expected supplies knock down prices

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain futures slumped on Friday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture said farmers and crop handlers had more supplies in storage than analysts expected. The bigger-than-expected inventories from previous harvests add to an oversupply as U.S. farmers are starting to bring in another massive corn and soybean crop from their […] Read more

Rain, hail, sleet, snow chill harvest progress

Alberta crop conditions as of September 25, 2018

Reading Time: < 1 minute The wet cold front experienced over the last couple of weeks seems to have stationed itself in the province bringing rain, hail, sleet, and snow with it. Much snow has melted on initial contact, while a few grassy areas saw small amounts of accumulation. Optimistically, the early September snowfall experienced in parts of the province […] Read more


(Allan Dawson file photo)

Feed weekly outlook: Manitoba corn seems headed for lower yields

CNS Canada — Manitoba’s corn crop harvest is getting underway earlier than expected, which could point to potential yield problems. While it’s too early to provide firm yield estimates, Morgan Cott, field agronomist for the Manitoba Corn Growers Association, said some high-moisture corn was already harvested in mid-September, and regular grain corn harvest got underway […] Read more

ICE October 2018 canola, with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola still watching soy, weather

CNS Canada — ICE Futures canola contracts moved off their nearby lows over the week ended Wednesday as persistent harvest delays provided support. Additional strength, however, may be dependent on movement in the Chicago soybean market. “Soybeans will be the driving force behind which way canola futures go,” said commodities investment advisor David Derwin of […] Read more



It breaks your heart — and sends your stress levels soaring: Irmi and Barry Critcher in a canola field this summer and in the same field earlier this month.

The long wait: Delayed harvest wears you down

The stress isn’t just in the mind — and talking things out will lessen those physiological drivers

Reading Time: 5 minutes Fatigue when working long hours is a serious safety concern on farms — but another kind of exhaustion often sets in when farmers want to be out in the field, but are hampered by poor weather. “Even though we aren’t actually combining and it’s not physically taxing, the fatigue can still be there,” said Hannah […] Read more


Rain, snow continue to mess with harvest, now well behind five-year average

Alberta crop conditions as of September 18, 2018

Reading Time: 2 minutes Cold, wet weather has been the norm the past several days in almost all areas of the province, halting harvest progress. In addition to the rain/snow mix, frost has been highly variable. Alberta’s harvest as a whole is down 23.4 points over last year at this time for binned crops. With the exception of North […] Read more