Bruce Burnett - Analysis

Bruce Burnett is director of weather and markets information for Glacier FarmMedia.

Stories by Bruce Burnett - Analysis

An Agriculture Canada map of percentage of normal precipitation amounts across the Prairie provinces.
Markets, Weather

Prairie soil moisture conditions not a concern

Subsoil moisture levels are still dry in some areas, but the forecast for spring and early summer weather is neutral

There are a number of uncertainties going into the 2025 planting season, but soil moisture levels aren’t a concern at the moment. That’s one positive factor for the production outlook in 2025.
A close-up view of a green oats crop.
Markets, Tariffs

U.S. tariffs would affect Canadian crops differently

Canadian agricultural trade flows will be altered by the tariffs, and prices will adjust

The U.S. administration changed its mind earlier this week, announcing Feb. 3 it would postpone previously announced plans to impose 25 per cent tariffs to all Canadian imports for a month.
Shipping containers sit stacked on the dock beneath large cranes with the mountains in the background at the Port of Vancouver.
Markets, Tariffs

Predicting the future of tariffs is not an easy thing to do

If you make your living as a forecaster of markets, nothing will humble you as much as dealing with political uncertainty. Agriculture markets have had their fair share of uncertainty from the political arena in the past decade. The Meng Wanzhou situation sideswiped the canola market in 2018 and 2019, which wasn’t on any analyst […] Read more
A close-up of a single head of ripe wheat with the rest of the golden crop out of focus in the background.
Markets, Tariffs

Tariff barriers affect trade flows more than they do prices

A halt in U.S. purchases of Canadian wheat would increase domestic consumption and reduce U.S.’s ability to export

Canada has dodged import tariffs for now, but we should be vigilant because we are likely to see them imposed in the coming months. However, even though tariffs are likely to be introduced in the next few months, the chances of an across the board 25 per cent import tax are remote. This delay provides […] Read more
American corn production dropped by 456 million bushels and ending stocks by 198 million bushels in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s January World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report. | File photo
Markets

USDA’s WASDE report bullish for corn and soybeans

Changes in the department’s production estimates for corn were the most dramatic of the three major commodities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture WASDE report released Jan. 10 was bullish for corn and soybeans while wheat was neutral. Bullish soybean estimates from the USDA will provide support for Canadian canola markets, while the bullish corn numbers should provide support for the entire grains complex. The report was not positive for wheat with U.S. […] Read more
The good news for Canadian canola is that it is rapidly becoming the cheapest oilseed available in the world market, which should eventually help support canola values. | File photo
Markets

Large soybean crop keeps lid on canola prices

Statistics Canada recently lowered its canola estimate, which should support prices, but futures values continue to fall

The fundamentals in the canola market are positive, but the futures market continues to struggle. After a brief rally due to the Statistics Canada report in the first week of December, the canola market has peaked and is now moving down back toward the recent contract lows. Oilseed fundamentals remain conflicted with record soybean production […] Read more
Canola growing season in review
Canola Yearbook 2024, Crop Management, Guides, News

Canola growing season in review

The 2024 canola growing season was a tale of two distinct seasons. The April through June period resulted in a dramatic improvement in growing conditions from the past few years. The July through August period was very stressful and caused yield potential in canola to drop dramatically. The rain during the first half of the […] Read more
Durum exports during the first quarter of the crop year are strong at 916,800 tonnes, which is the best pace since the 2020-21 crop year. | File photo
Markets

China is top destination as crop exports boom

CGC inspects 12.2 million tonnes of exports in first quarter of current crop year, which is second largest in past 10 years

China remains the largest market for Canadian grains, oilseeds and pulses, according to recent monthly data from the Canadian Grain Commission. The total exports of the five major crops for the first quarter of the crop year totalled 3.39 million tonnes. This is slightly higher than the first quarter of the 2022-23 crop year but […] Read more

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