Forecast probability of above-normal precipitation for the period from December 2020 through February 2021. (Environment Canada)

Seasonal forecast calls for more snow

MarketsFarm — Most of Canada should see above-normal snowfall over the next three months, according to updated seasonal forecasts released Monday from Environment Canada. Weather maps show a 40 to 60 per cent probability of more precipitation than normal across much of the country from December through February, with the heaviest accumulations expected in Quebec. […] Read more

ICE January 2021 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola stronger at midweek

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts were stronger on Wednesday, making up losses incurred earlier in the week. The nearby January contract closed Wednesday at $545.80 per tonne, gaining over $10 since closing at $534.90 on Monday. Record-high temperatures in parts of the Prairies were part of the reason behind canola’s rally. However, temperatures are […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: Corn declines on long liquidation

Soybeans lower, wheat rallies

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures declined on Monday as funds scaled back long positions ahead of the U.S. presidential election, and forecasts called for optimal weather in the Midwest, where farmers are wrapping up the harvest of corn and soybeans, analysts said. Wheat futures turned higher, rallying on bargain-buying after a five-session slide. […] Read more

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

U.S. grains: Wheat slides on profit-taking, weather

January soybeans up, December corn flat

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures fell on Friday for a fifth straight session, retreating from multi-year highs set last week, on fund-driven long liquidation and improving crop prospects in the southern U.S. Plains, analysts said. Soybean futures firmed on export demand while corn settled narrowly mixed, with the front December contract losing relative […] Read more


CBOT November 2020 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

CBOT weekly outlook: After October rally, November ‘is for bears’

MarketsFarm — Commodities on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) have seen a counter-season rally, with a correction expected in the near future. “Markets are definitely overbought,” said Scott Capinegro of Barrington Commodity Brokers in Barrington, Ill. “It’s harvest and we’re still rallying.” World weather conditions are part of the driving force behind the rally, […] Read more

File photo of a U.S. cotton crop. (BCFC/iStock/Getty Images)

Study shows how U.S. farm landscapes could be reshaped by climate

Plains' wheat belt would see 'hollowing-out'

London | Thomson Reuters Foundation — Climate change could render swaths of agricultural land largely useless for farming in the U.S. South, and force Midwestern farmers to move corn and soybeans elsewhere as crop yields decline, researchers said on Monday. The profits of growing six key crops are set to fall by almost a third […] Read more



Clear sailing on a perfect harvest day

Clear sailing on a perfect harvest day

Reading Time: < 1 minute Harvesting conditions were ideal — clear, dry and the temperature hitting 27 C — on this Stony Plain-area operation on Sept. 10. But more good weather will be needed to get all the crops in. The Sept. 8 provincial crop report said just 8.8 per cent of crops had been harvested in the North West […] Read more


Hail claims about average

Hail claims about average

Reading Time: < 1 minute So far, it’s been an average season when it comes to hail damage, says the Canadian Crop Hail Association. There have been more than 10,000 claims this year, the association said in an Aug. 31 release. Alberta has about one-quarter of those claims. “Claims filed in Alberta are currently close to last year’s numbers, but […] Read more