File photo of wheat south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2022. (Dave Bedard photo)

Prairies’ high-pressure ridge should give way by mid-month

Brisk harvest pace expected meanwhile

MarketsFarm — While there’s not one specific cause of the hot September the Canadian Prairies has generally been having so far, Weatherlogics chief scientist Scott Kehler notes one particular shorter-term factor. “There is a fairly strong upper-level ridge of high pressure across the Prairies right now,” he explained, adding it should dissipate by mid-month. The […] Read more

CBOT November 2022 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, green and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soybeans steady

U.S. Midwest rain, Ukraine sea exports add pressure

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybeans inched higher on Wednesday, bouncing from two days of declines, though the recovery was limited by rain improving weather forecasts in the U.S. Midwest. Wheat prices fell, pressured by increased export activity from Ukraine, while corn traded near even. The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade […] Read more



Photo: Getty Images

Heavy rain — where does all that water come from?

When a thunderstorm rolls in on a warm summer day, there’s an awful lot of water over your head

Reading Time: 3 minutes In the last issue we went into some detail on how thunderstorms develop, and how they can go from your average summer day thunderstorm to a severe thunderstorm. Thunderstorms can bring a wide variety of severe weather with them: heavy rains, hail, high winds, lightning, and, on some occasions, tornadoes. After an extended period of […] Read more


File photo of a pea crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: Peas, lentils faring well but threats remain

MarketsFarm — Growing conditions for peas and lentils in Saskatchewan during the spring can be described as variable. While western parts of the province continued to endure dry conditions carried over from last year’s drought, regions in the east were drenched with near-continuous rainfall to go along with below-normal temperatures. Lionel Ector, president of Diefenbaker […] Read more

(Lightguard/E+/Getty Images)

Feed weekly outlook: Rains forecast for southern Alberta

MarketsFarm — The prospect of rain over drought-stricken southern Alberta, with Calgary and Lethbridge possibly seeing at least 30 millimetres from June 4 to 7, would seem to be a godsend for growers. However, recent history suggests the moisture may not matter in the long term, according to Mike Fleischhauer of Eagle Commodities Ltd. at […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

Saskatchewan forage rainfall insurance to adjust for hot spells

SCIC also expanding crop roster for contract price option

Saskatchewan forage and corn growers whose crops are insured against below-normal rainfall can expect a beneficial bump starting this year if those crops get cooked in high heat. The Saskatchewan and federal governments on Tuesday announced details for their 2022 crop insurance program — under which average coverage is expected to reach $405 per acre, […] Read more