While not news to most producers, Statistics Canada results confirm the size and depth of the markets shift
Wheat prices are up 56.4 percent this fall, compared to the same period in 2020. That represents the largest year-over-year jump in prices since the commodity boom of the late 2000s, Statistics Canada said in a Dec. 6 report. “The all-wheat index posted the largest increase… on higher durum and non-durum wheat prices. As a […] Read moreDurum wheat
Durum to increase in ‘fits and starts’
Demand for Canadian product is estimated to be 4.5 million tonnes but only 2.9 million tonnes of exports are expected
Durum prices are likely headed higher but it won’t be in a straight line, says an analyst. “I view it as fits and starts,” said MarketsFarm analyst Bruce Burnett. Prices will shoot up when some trades take place and then pause or even fall back slightly before the next surge. However, he has little doubt […] Read more
Durum to increase in ‘fits and starts’
Durum prices are likely headed higher but it won’t be in a straight line, says an analyst. “I view it as fits and starts,” said MarketsFarm analyst Bruce Burnett. Prices will shoot up when some trades take place and then pause or even fall back slightly before the next surge. However, he has little doubt […] Read more
BASF issues rotational restrictions
BASF issued an urgent notice to growers that stated it “will not be supporting canola, durum wheat, and canary seed as follow crops in the 2022 season,” if the company’s new rotational restrictions are not adhered to. The new rotational restrictions are for BASF’s imidazoline-based portfolio including Odyssey, Solo and Viper ADV formulas used in […] Read more
Durum spat raises questions
Viterra is eliminating a controversial new fee related to its No. 5 durum contracts. On Sept. 4, Viterra introduced a new $500 per tonne “property discount” for delivering wheat of other classes on the contracts. The Canadian Grain Commission spotted the unusual item on the Elevator Charge Summaries report that it publishes on its website […] Read more
Durum growers lock up the bins as prices rise
Grain quality concerns could drive prices even higher in the short term as recent rain interrupts harvest operations
Only time will tell how much top quality durum will be harvested in Western Canada and the northern United States this fall. But if current markets are any indication, production and supplies will fall well below normal. Growers on both sides of the border will be watching durum markets closely and timing their sales carefully, […] Read more
A top durum buyer may slash demand
Turkey has a new pasta processing regime that could dramatically reduce the amount of durum used in making the popular product. In May, the Turkish government implemented new rules allowing for the increased use of soft wheat in pasta destined for export. Millers can now use up to 100 percent soft wheat when making pasta […] Read more
Feds announce $100 million for drought assistance
The federal government announced it is prepared to put $100 million into AgriRecovery, to address costs producers incur from drought and wildfires. The money will match provincial AgriRecovery submissions on the 60-40 cost-shared basis outlined under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and will be available as soon as “full assessments are completed,” according to Agriculture Canada, […] Read more
Assessing the yield impact of severe drought is grim exercise
Saskatchewan Agriculture’s crop rating numbers for July 26 were a depressing confirmation of the toll drought and heat are taking on the province’s crops. For canola, 51 percent was considered poor to very poor, 35 percent fair, 14 percent good and nothing was rated excellent. That has to be the worst rating by far in […] Read more
Drought 2021
These are trying times for many Prairie producers, with withered crops and parched pastures across wide swaths of the growing region. To help keep you informed about the issue this page will be continually updated with the latest drought-related news and solutions you can use, produced by The Western Producer’s team of professional reporters and […] Read more
