An oil refinery near Houston, Texas. The refining margins and fuel prices cited in the column below are for the U.S., but the same shortage of refining capacity and fuel inventories is boosting diesel prices elsewhere, creating a sharp rise in gasoline prices with them.

Opinion: It’s not just oil prices — refining capacity is driving up fuel bills

Fat margins mean refineries have plenty of reasons to up production but they have limited capacity

Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters – Global stocks of refined petroleum products have fallen to critically low levels as refineries prove unable to keep up with surging demand especially for the diesel-like fuels used in manufacturing and freight transportation. The result has been a surge in prices refiners receive for selling fuels compared with prices they pay for buying […] Read more

CBOT May 2020 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soy, wheat slide with financial markets

Drop in oil prices adds pressure on corn

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain and soybean futures fell on Friday as the spread of the new coronavirus triggered broad selling in commodities and equities. Wall Street tumbled as fears of economic damage intensified with the global tally of cases crossing 100,000. Financial markets view the virus, which causes a flu-like illness, as the […] Read more






Since most farm equipment is imported from the U.S., the rise in the Canadian dollar will lower the tab 
for new machinery.

Higher loonie will have many impacts

MARKET WATCH: A low dollar shielded Canadian farmers from lower commodity prices but it also raised the cost of farm equipment and inputs

Reading Time: 3 minutes While you were busy growing crops and raising livestock this summer, a rising dollar has been taking aim at your profits. The growing season started with the loonie trading under the 75 U.S. cents mark — and many analysts sticking to the theory it would stay low as long as oil prices remained in the […] Read more


In the last year, the Surface Rights Board has received more than 750 new applications from producers who haven’t been paid for their oil leases.

Oil companies bucking their commitments

Farmers are struggling to get oil companies to pay their leases and complete reclamation work on abandoned wells

Reading Time: 4 minutes There’s a wet spot originating from an oil well in Anthony Bruder’s pasture that his cows won’t drink from. “I’ve seen cows walk up to it, sniff it, and then walk a half-mile to the other end of the field to drink from the lake,” said Bruder, who farms near Twin Butte. “If the cows […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Crude’s slide hampers demand for Canadian biofuel

CNS Canada — The trickle-down effect of slumping crude oil prices is being felt in the Canadian biofuel market and softening demand for corn and soybeans. Traditionally, ethanol is cheaper than gasoline, which encouraged processors to blend more than the mandated amount, according to Andrea Kent, president of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA). “When […] Read more