Reading Time: 5 minutes [UPDATED Feb. 26, 2019] Some producers are responding to the market while planning their spring planting decisions. Others are going with tried-and-true rotations. But everyone is watching the weather and geopolitical events. “From a pulse perspective, things have improved a lot since the fall of 2017, when India closed its markets. Prices have risen some, but […] Read more

International politics add to uncertainty for crops in 2019
Canada’s diplomatic spat with China among the factors that may influence demand for canola

Even as tariffs fall, new trade barriers arise
Protectionists don’t give up when their government signs a free trade deal
Reading Time: 4 minutes Donald Trump might not get his wall — but other invisible walls are going up around the world. “We’re in an era of protectionism, and in an era of protectionism, we have governments and regulators that are looking for any excuse to block trade,” said Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada. “So we can’t give […] Read more

Trans-Pacific tariffs start to fall
Reading Time: < 1 minute The first round of tariff cuts under the Trans-Pacific Partnership came into effect Dec. 30, with the prohibitive Japanese tariff of 38.5 per cent dropping to 27.5 per cent on Canadian fresh beef and to 26.9 per cent on frozen beef. A second round of cuts saw Vietnamese tariffs fall on Jan. 14, and will […] Read more

European beef exports growing, but still small
Reading Time: < 1 minute The number of Canadian producers raising EU-eligible beef has tripled in the past year — but the number remains small, says the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. In a recent newsletter, the CCA says its “best estimate” is that more than 100 producers have enrolled in a certification program that ensures they’re not using growth-enhancing products. But […] Read more

There’s light at the end of the trade war tunnel
Prices will return to normal and ag exports will continue to grow
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada’s battle to renegotiate a free trade deal with the U.S. appears to be over, but global trade wars rage on — and that means producers can expect volatile markets for some time to come. But in the long run, it should all work out fine, says a new analysis by Farm Credit Canada on […] Read more

Trade agreement a big deal for canola growers
Trans-Pacific Partnership trade accord comes as canola acreage poised to grow once again
Reading Time: 4 minutes The timing couldn’t be better. Tariffs on Canadian canola oil into Asia could be scrapped as early as January if the new Trans-Pacific trade deal goes into effect. And that’s good news as canola growers seem poised to boost acreage this coming spring. Canada ratified the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) late […] Read more

CPTPP trade agreement ratified
Canada will be among the original six and will gain some benefit from moving early
The last domestic legislative hurdle to enacting the CPTPP trade deal with Pacific rim countries has been cleared. The deal was approved by senate and received Royal Assent the afternoon of Oct. 25. The moves makes Canada one of the first countries to ratify the 11 nation deal which comes into effect once the first […] Read more

USMCA fallout: Some milk producers looking to exit
Dairy leaders looking for a ‘way forward’ but many are questioning their future in the sector
Reading Time: 6 minutes Dairy farmers in Alberta and across Canada are considering whether there’s a future in their sector — or if they should get out of the business, say farm leaders. Some may do that before the year is out, said David Wiens, vice-president of Dairy Farmers of Canada. “Over the next few months as we look […] Read more

Another blow for Canada’s dairy industry
Dairy farmers frustrated and disappointed but other farm sectors welcome the NAFTA replacement
Reading Time: 5 minutes Many Canadians breathed a collective sigh of relief when Canada, the U.S., and Mexico agreed to a new trade agreement at the end of September. But for the country’s dairy industry, this proposed deal is just another in a series of blows that is slowly but surely bleeding the industry dry. “This is definitely death […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: Corn and soy markets awaiting USDA report
CNS Canada – After a week where corn, soybean and wheat contracts climbed on the Chicago Board of Trade, traders are now awaiting the latest supply and demand report from the United States Department of Agriculture. “With the crop report (for) August, which at least over the last five years has historically leaned more bearish […] Read more