Chinese maltsters are importing barley from Canada but Australia’s crop, although small, is coming on the market so exports may start to slow down.  |  File photo

China snapping up barley exports

Bulk barley exports are more than double last year’s pace de-spite a smaller overall crop. Canadian exporters shipped out 542,000 tonnes of the crop through Week 15 of the 2017-18 crop year, compared to 240,000 tonnes the same time last year. That is a 126 percent increase despite a drop in total supply of the […] Read more

U.S. soybean yields have exceeded expectations but markets for protein and soybean meal are keeping pace.  |  File photo

China’s soybean demand will eat higher U.S. yields

Soybean production in North America has likely started to surge, but that is OK because China’s demand will keep pace. Those thoughts were floating around the Grain World conference Nov. 15, as analysts and grain trade players tried to spot future trends. Bill Lapp of Advanced Economic Solutions said he suspected soybean yields have begun […] Read more

Low soybean yields may discourage growers

Soybean acres in Western Canada jumped a phenomenal amount this year, rising to to 3.1 million in 2017 from 1.8 million in 2016. But acres will likely shrink in 2018 because soybean yields were below average in Manitoba and awful in Saskatchewan. Dennis Lange, Manitoba Agriculture soybean and pulse expert, holds that opinion, He projects […] Read more


China to subsidize grain transportation, storage

BEIJING (Reuters) — China plans to subsidize grain transportation and storage facilities in the latest push by Beijing to modernize the world’s largest agriculture sector. Beijing will subsidize projects upgrading or building facilities to load and receive grains along main railways and ports for major waterways including the Yangtze and Pearl rivers, a document issued […] Read more

Oil, meal touted in China talks

Canada’s canola marketers are talking up the crop’s unique oil benefits and better-than-assumed meal benefits in China. The Canola Council of Canada has been holding seminars about canola oil and meal with Chinese processors and nutritionists. As well, it has held what it called a “canola dialogue” in Beijing. The canola council hopes it becomes […] Read more


WP livestock report

HOGS DOWN Packers were cautious buyers while they waited to see the U.S. Thanksgiving demand for pork. The U.S. national live price average for barrows and gilts was US$44.17 per hundredweight Nov. 24, down from $45.69 Nov. 17. U.S. hogs averaged $57.10 on a carcass basis Nov. 24, down from $56.96 Nov. 17. The U.S. […] 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. FED CATTLE RISE The Canfax weighted steer average was $149.96 per hundredweight, up $2.50, and the heifer […] Read more

Trade expects StatsCan will raise canola, wheat estimates

By Rod Nickel WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Nov 30 (Reuters) — A poll of the trade shows Canadian farmers harvested the biggest canola crop on record, slightly larger than was expected in Statistics Canada’s September report. Reuters surveyed 15 traders and analysts ahead of the StatsCan report due Dec. 6. Wheat production is also seen higher than […] Read more


Russia’s winter grain region drier than last year

MOSCOW, Nov 30 (Reuters) – Russia’s winter grain sowings are in a worse condition than a year ago, but snow and rains may help in December, the head of the weather forecaster Hydrometcentre said on Thursday. Russia, one of the world’s largest wheat exporters, harvested a record grain crop this year mostly due to favourable […] Read more

U.S. government confirms it won’t cut biofuel targets

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it will require fuel companies to blend slightly more biofuels into the nation’s gasoline and diesel next year, reversing a previous proposal for a small cut. The concession comes after Midwestern lawmakers and representatives of the corn industry had pressured the […] Read more