LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Global makers of alcoholic drinks like Diageo are caught in the cross-fire of a major trade war as U.S. tariffs deal a hefty blow to an industry already struggling with falling sales. Key brands like Don Julio tequila and Jack Daniel’s whiskey from producers like Diageo and Brown-Forman could become more […] Read more
Feds expect more wheat, less canola this year
Wheat acreage will increase this year while canola acreage will drop — at least, that’s the prediction in the January Outlook for Principal Field Crops report from the Market Analysis Group at Agriculture Canada. The Agriculture Canada analysis has very little good news when it comes to 2025-26 price projections. Wheat and flaxseed are about […] Read more
Trump-effect volatility will be a perennial market mover
On-again, off-again tariff talk kept agricultural markets on edge with the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Living up to his name, the president’s whims and proclamations have a tendency of trumping anything else going on, and the early days of the new U.S. administration promised more of the same. While the initial flurry of […] Read more
Canfax report
This cattle market information is selected from the weekly report from Canfax, a division of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. More market information, analysis and statistics are available by becoming a Canfax subscriber by calling 403-275-5110 or at www.canfax.ca. Heifers finish strong Alberta heifers had an exceptionally strong week, closing up $8.01 and a record $270.61 […] Read more
Canadian tariff response called poorly handled
Trade observer says exporters, particularly those in agriculture, should be thinking further ahead and preparing
REGINA —Donald Trump’s promise to impose tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico could affect potash prices for American farmers. The president-elect takes office Jan. 20 and has said 25 per cent tariffs are coming on all products. However, a tariff on potash could place his own farmers at a disadvantage because they rely […] Read more
La Nina looks likely; could last into spring
REUTERS — La Nina conditions are present and there is a 59 per cent chance of it persisting through February-April, with a 60 per cent chance of transition to ENSO-neutral conditions during March-May, says a U.S. government forecaster. La Nina, a climate phenomenon marked by cooler-than-usual ocean temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific […] Read more
China eyes crop yields
BEIJING, China (Reuters) — China will accelerate the breeding of new soybean and corn varieties and prioritize yield improvements for key grains and oil crops as part of broad efforts to ensure food security. The focus will be on five key crops — corn, rice, wheat, soybeans and rapeseed — and the better use and […] Read more
FCL shelves renewable diesel, canola crush projects
REGINA — Federated Co-operatives Ltd. today announced it is not going ahead with its planned Integrated Agriculture Complex at Regina. The company said the two main projects within the complex have been “paused.” According to a news release, regulatory and political uncertainty, potential shifts in low-carbon public policy and escalating costs are the reasons the […] Read more
Dry weather affects crop production in other countries
While Prairie producers are expecting good growing conditions this year, other countries currently struggle with dryness
REGINA — Dry conditions are affecting South American crops, which in turn will affect markets, says agricultural meteorologist Drew Lerner. The recent bump in corn and soybean prices has come from drier weather in Argentina and Brazil, the World Weather Inc. president told a Jan. 7 webinar. Uruguay and parts of Paraguay are also dry. […] Read more
U.S. rural economy to be ‘squeezed, hobbled, slowed’
By far the biggest lender to U.S. farmers, ranchers and rural businesses is the Farm Credit System, whose four banks and 56 associations hold nearly 50 per cent of all debt in rural America. What’s more, the largest lender within the massive FCS is CoBank. In mid-2024, CoBank reported an “average loan volume” of US$149.9 […] Read more
