Reading Time: 7 minutes While other farmers are still counting down the days until they can start seeding, Matthew and Farley Gould will already be out on their fields, getting it done. Last year, the brothers started seeding spring wheat nearly a month before their neighbours — and they plan to be “even more aggressive this year.” “We were […] Read more

How early can you go? Ultra-early seeding is pushing the boundaries
Some farmers are convinced seeding at the start of April or even weeks earlier is a winning strategy

PHOTOS: Redefining the growing season
Reading Time: < 1 minute Seeding prior to Easter, or even earlier, sounds hugely risky but it can be done — and there’s a big payoff, say researchers and some pioneering farmers. But there are some guidelines to follow.

CBOT weekly outlook: Wheat futures in a war trading scenario
MarketsFarm — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has roiled grain and oilseed markets, with the unprecedented situation likely to lead to volatile and choppy activity in wheat, corn and soybean futures for the time being. Chicago and Kansas City winter wheat contracts have posted the largest gains in response to the conflict, with the closure of […] Read more

Early USDA forecast points to record-large 2022 soybean crop
MarketsFarm — Farmers in the U.S. could grow a record-large soybean crop in 2022, according to early predictions from the U.S. Department of Agriculture released at their annual Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF) on Thursday. The government agency forecast soybean plantings in the country at 88 million acres, which would be up by 800,000 from the […] Read more

U.S. aims to double cover crop planting to address climate change
Farmers in 11 states to be eligible for program
Chicago | Reuters — The United States aims to double the country’s cover crop plantings to 30 million acres by 2030 under a new Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation program launched on Monday. The agency’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will spend US$38 million to help farmers in 11 states plant crops at a time […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: India’s rabi season underway
MarketsFarm — Farmers in India are in the process of planting their next pulse crops, with good monsoon rains and high prices setting the stage for solid production. India has two major growing seasons, kharif and rabi, with the major pulses grown in the rabi season. Planting for rabi crops typically begins in November, after […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy jumps on USDA’s surprise cut to yield estimates
Traders had expected a higher soy yield; U.S. corn carryout seen lower than last month
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) soybean futures soared on Tuesday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture reduced its estimate for domestic yields, surprising traders who were expecting an increase. USDA pegged production at 4.425 billion bushels on a yield of 51.2 bushels per acre in a monthly crop report. That was […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy down on South American weather, technical pressure
Firm U.S. dollar weighs on wheat; rising crop input costs supportive for corn
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures fell on Thursday after five straight sessions of gains, pressured by technical resistance and beneficial forecasts for rain in top export competitor Brazil. Wheat eased from a two-week high hit earlier on Thursday as weaker crude oil prices and a firmer U.S. dollar offset tightening global supplies. Corn […] Read more

Bayer sees farmers pre-buying inputs as supply-chain snarls continue
Chicago/Berlin | Reuters — U.S. farmers are pre-buying seeds and chemicals they need earlier than normal, in a bid to secure supplies for next spring amid sector-wide supply-chain problems, a top executive at German agricultural and pharmaceuticals firm Bayer said Tuesday. Bayer also estimates its average seed prices will go up about five per cent […] Read more

India unveils new rice variety to reduce water use, labour
New Delhi | Reuters — India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched an array of new high-yielding crop varieties, including herbicide-tolerant rice that can be directly sown into the soil, cutting expenditure on water and farm workers. In India, the world’s biggest rice exporter, the conventional method of rice cultivation requires farmers to sow […] Read more