Canola closes down in advance of USDA report

Canola followed soybeans down Wednesday on fund selling in advance of Thursday’s USDA supply and demand report and the South American harvest. Oilseeds are currently the weakest of the major grains due mainly to late season rain that improved South American crop prospects. Brazil and Argentina are harvesting now, putting new soybeans on the world […] Read more

Oilseeds fall on expectation of big South American crop

Canola followed soybeans down Wednesday on fund selling in advance of Thursday’s USDA supply and demand report and the South American harvest. Oilseeds are currently the weakest of the major grains due mainly to late season rain that improved South American crop prospects. Brazil and Argentina are harvesting now, putting new soybeans on the world […] Read more

New funding to help Sask. RMs deal with beavers

Saskatchewan rural municipalities are getting $500,000 to help deal with beaver problems. The increasing number of beavers and dams is resulting in more damage across the province. Two resolutions presented to delegates at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities convention in Saskatoon this week called for a bounty on the rodents and assistance to help […] Read more


Sask. to reduce education property tax

The second stage of education property tax reductions will go ahead in the Saskatchewan budget March 23, resulting in the largest education tax cut in the province’s history. Finance minister Ken Krawetz told delegates to the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities annual meeting in Saskatoon that education tax on agricultural land will have dropped by […] Read more

Live cattle futures post record high

Chicago live cattle futures set new record highs today, supported by the highest beef prices in more than seven years. Feeder cattle futures and hog futures also rose. The April cattle contract peaked at 116.9 US cents per pound, the highest ever for a lead month cattle futures contract. Market watchers believe the strong prices […] Read more


Alta. introduces cow-calf insurance

Alberta cow-calf producers have a new insurance option to guard against price risk. Alberta Agriculture released details of the Cattle Price Insurance Program for calves (CPIP-Calf) this week. It is the third cattle insurance program developed and implemented by the department. The other two programs insure price risk for fed and feeder cattle. “We can […] Read more

Pork industry pushes Ottawa on South Korean trade deal

Canada’s hog and meat packing sectors are pleading with the Conservative government to relaunch stalled free trade talks with South Korea. Talks started in 2004 and ended in March 2008 after 13 sessions. The government has been under pressure from some sectors to not rush a deal that does not meet their needs. Automobile manufacturers […] Read more

Crop prices fall on worries about economic slowdown

Crop prices fell again on Tuesday as investors worried unrest in oil-rich countries causing high oil prices could derail global economic growth. Oilseeds were also pressured by expectations of a bumper crop in Brazil and a better than expected crop in Argentina. Also, oilseeds were under pressure because traders believe the U.S. Department will increase […] Read more


Soaring crude pressures crop prices lower

Worries on Monday that surging crude oil prices will slow the global economy pressured crop prices lower, including canola. The increase in violence in Libya’s revolution had traders on edge and equity markets also fell. Early in the day, May canola broke through $600 per tonne, supported by strong palm oil prices overnight that were […] Read more

Swine board to issue health bulletins

Bulletins alerting Canada’s hog producers to various hog disease risks are now being distributed by the Canadian Swine Health Board.The first in the series, which was announced March 4, deals with vesicular diseases, several of which have identical symptoms in hogs. Blisters caused by these viruses can be a sign of foot-and-mouth disease.“Keeping the industry […] Read more