In early April, Ukrainian soldiers expelled the Russian invaders from the northern regions of Ukraine: Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions. The wounded enemy left, leaving behind burned-out war machines and the unburied corpses of his soldiers. However, the invaders managed to do a lot of damage. Many of you are probably aware of the atrocities […] Read more

Farming behind the lines: Ukraine’s farmers sow amidst wreckage
Despite their best efforts, however, famine looms as war rages

U.S. grains: Corn futures above $8 on supply concerns
Ukraine war continues disrupting Black Sea grain exports
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn futures topped US$8 a bushel and reached their highest price in nearly a decade on Monday on concerns over unfavourable U.S. weather slowing plantings and the Ukraine war disrupting grain exports. Traders worry chilly weather hampering plantings this spring could potentially contribute to lower yields come […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn climbs on global supply fears
Wheat down on profit-taking; Argentina trucker strike supports soy, corn
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures hit life-of-contract highs on Thursday, supported by tightening global grain supplies and an uncertain production outlook as the Russia-Ukraine war continued to rattle markets, analysts said. However, trade was choppy and deferred corn contracts finished lower as traders took profits ahead of a three-day holiday weekend. U.S. markets […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn nears 10-year high
Wheat, soy up as Ukraine still in focus
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures hit their highest in nearly 10 years on Wednesday and wheat touched a three-week top on worries about tightening global grain supplies, the crisis in Ukraine and drought in the U.S. Plains, analysts said. Soybeans bounced, shaking off signs of slowing demand from top global buyer China, while […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Larger U.S. pea, lentil areas expected
MarketsFarm — Farmers in the United States will grow more lentils and peas in 2022, although chickpea area may be down, according to early estimates ahead of spring seeding. Total pea area in the country is forecast at 1.088 million acres, which would be up 11 per cent from 2021, according to the U.S. Department […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn, wheat climb on Ukraine woes, U.S. biofuel plan
May soybeans also close higher
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, wheat and soybean futures rose on Tuesday on worries about the Russia-Ukraine conflict persisting and disrupting Black Sea grain exports, and optimism about increased demand for biofuels, analysts said. U.S. President Joe Biden will unveil plans to extend the availability of higher biofuel blends of gasoline during the summer […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat firm as Ukraine war raises supply fears
CBOT corn ends mixed
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures rose nearly three per cent on Monday and hit a two-week high on worries about U.S. crop prospects and concern that fighting in Ukraine will continue to disrupt Black Sea region exports, analysts said. But soybeans fell as COVID-19 lockdowns in China, the top importer of the oilseed, […] Read more

Cereal commissions offer new, and different, seeding rate calculator
The calculator targets seeds per square foot, not plants, while a new video looks at row spacing
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta Wheat and Alberta Barley have created a seeding rate calculator that has a significant difference from similar tools — it doesn’t require users to estimate emergence mortality. “Instead of targeting plants/ft2, this calculator targets seeds/ft2,” the cereal commissions say in an intro for the online tool. “Therefore, emergence mortality is not included in the […] Read more

Advance Payments Program to offer 100 per cent up front
Feds temporarily waive 60 per cent up-front limit
Canadian farmers seeking pre-production cash advances under the federal Advance Payments Program ahead of this year’s spring seeding will be able to get the entire eligible amount up front. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Wednesday announced a “temporary waiving” of the program’s usual requirement that pre-production cash advances be issued in instalments of 60 […] Read more

U.S. grains: Chicago soybeans, corn consolidate
CBOT wheat mixed pending sanctions
Reuters — Chicago soybeans and corn eased on Wednesday, consolidating after two days of gains, as traders watch U.S. weather and planting, while wheat traded mixed pending further sanctions against Russia following reports of civilian deaths in Ukraine. The most-active soybeans on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) eased 11-1/2 cents to $16.19-1/2 a bushel […] Read more