File photo of a chicken processing line in Ukraine. (AlexanderLipko/iStock/Getty Images)

Canada extends Ukraine tariff-free access

Access to supply-managed sectors tightened

Winnipeg | Reuters — Canada on Friday extended Ukraine’s tariff-free access for most goods, but tightened access for eggs, poultry and dairy — sectors protected under the Canadian supply-management system. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said tariff relief for Ukrainian goods such as steel — a temporary measure started a year ago — would continue for […] Read more

File photo of a barley seedling. (SusanHSmith/iStock/Getty Images)

Feed weekly outlook: Market in a waiting game

U.S. corn, available wheat keep market supplied

MarketsFarm — The feed grain market in Western Canada is holding relatively steady for the time being as both buyers and sellers wait to get a better handle on new-crop production. “It’s a waiting game at this point between the farmer and the feedlot,” said grain merchant Jay Janzen of CorNine Commodities at Lacombe, Alta. […] Read more


File photo of a barley seedling. (SusanHSmith/iStock/Getty Images)

Feed weekly outlook: Rain falls, grain prices to follow

U.S. corn values expected to decline

MarketsFarm — Feed grain prices in Western Canada are showing the usual seasonal weakness as spring seeding continues, but prices are set to fall further. “I think as we get going, (prices) are going to lower down quite a bit,” Mike Fleischhauer of Eagle Commodities Ltd. at Lethbridge said. “The corn market over the next […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Barley market steady for now

Feedlots still importing U.S. corn

MarketsFarm — Feed barley bids in Western Canada continue to hold steady, while attention in the market turns to the new crop going into the ground. “There currently is an uptick in demand for quick movement presenting good opportunities for producers ready to sell,” Alberta grain brokerage Agfinity said in a note to clients. “However, […] Read more


(FatCamera/iStock/Getty Images)

Beekeepers call to reopen cross-border package bee trade

Ten years after the last risk assessment, some say it’s time to re-evaluate

Canadian beekeepers are calling for the federal government to reopen the border to the importation of U.S. package honeybees. Witnesses at a meeting of the House of Commons standing committee on agriculture and agri-food last Wednesday presented recommendations for what the government could do to resolve issues of honeybee health decline and bee mortality. The […] Read more

A vineyard at Naramata in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley. (File photo by Dave Bedard)

Global wine trade hits record-high value but volumes fall

Canada 27th in production, sixth in imports

Paris | Reuters — The global wine trade reached record-high value last year, supported by a sharp rise in prices, but the amount of wine sold fell due to weaker demand and logistical problems, an industry body said. The International Organisation for Vine and Wine (OIV) said on Thursday that global wine exports in 2022 […] Read more


CBOT May 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, MGEX May 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line, left column) and K.C. May 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago futures dip as Ukraine inspections resume

Planting windows seen in U.S. despite rain forecasts

Mexico City | Reuters — Chicago grains and soy futures closed lower on Wednesday after inspections of ships carrying Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea resumed, and crude oil’s dip pressured prices down. A Ukrainian official said that “ship inspections are being resumed, despite the RF’s (Russian Federation’s) attempts to disrupt the agreement.” Kyiv faces […] Read more

File photo of a wheat harvest in Kazakhstan. (Yerbolat Shadrakhov/iStock/Getty Images)

Less wheat expected in Kazakhstan in 2023-24, despite same acres

Soil moisture loss expected in wheat-growing regions

MarketsFarm — As the 2022-23 crop year in Kazakhstan begins to wind down, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) attaché in the country’s capital of Astana estimated its wheat production at 16.4 million tonnes. Should that forecast hold, the attaché’s report noted it would be the largest wheat harvest since 2017-18. However, going into the […] Read more


File photo of a vessel being loaded with grain at a Ukrainian port. (3DFOX/iStock/Getty Images)

Czech farmers say Ukraine imports squeezing them out of EU grain markets

Government not planning import ban

Prague | Reuters — Czech farmers have 40 per cent more grains in stock than a year ago as surging Ukrainian exports to European markets have replaced Czech exports, the country’s Agriculture Association said on Tuesday, warning of a potential squeeze in storage capacity. The comments by the lobby group are the latest sign of […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Barley prices still historically high, but face headwinds

Bulk corn delivery remains more convenient

MarketsFarm — Feed barley bids in Western Canada remain historically strong, despite easing off their highs over the past month and trending lower. With bids of around $410 per tonne into the Lethbridge feedlot alley, feed barley “is still a sell,” according to Mike Jubinville of MarketsFarm, speaking on a webinar. However, he noted there […] Read more