Deep freeze threatens Ukraine’s winter grain crops

KIEV, Jan 5 (Reuters) – An expected sharp fall in temperatures in Ukraine could damage the country’s winter grain crops because of a lack of snow cover on the fields, analyst UkrAgroConsult said on Thursday. Meteorologists forecast a cold snap starting on Jan. 6 and predict that air temperatures will fall on average to -13 […] Read more

VIDEO: Canada’s agricultural markets update – January 4, 2017

VIDEO: Canada’s agricultural markets update – January 4, 2017

D’Arce McMillan, The Western Producer markets editor, monitors trends in the North American and global agricultural markets. Each week he hosts a market video about crops. The video is designed to help viewers understand the forces responsible for changes in the trade. If agricultural markets are important to you, we have you covered.

Low quality feed dumped on market

Winnipeg, Jan. 4 – Prices for feed barley and wheat are unlikely to rally strongly anytime soon as farmers across Western Canada continue to dump supplies containing high concentrations of vomitoxin and fusarium into feedlots. “Steady as it goes here is the tone,” said Allan Pirness of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge, Alta. “We’re looking […] Read more


Fund buying rallies CME live cattle, hog futures

CHICAGO, Jan 4 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Wednesday reversed the prior day’s losses, with strength from technical buying and short covering, said traders. February live cattle closed 0.800 cent per pound higher at 115.675 cents. April ended up 0.775 cent at 114.725 cents and above the 10-day moving average of […] Read more

CME lean hog futures retreat from 4-month high

CHICAGO, Jan 3 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs settled lower on Tuesday after profit-taking and fund liquidation dropped futures from an early-session four-month high, said traders. February hogs ended 2.650 cents per pound lower at 63.500 cents. April closed down 1.175 cents to 66.900 cents. Both contracts finished below their respective 10-day moving […] Read more



Marcus Weidler, vice-president of seed operations at Bayer, says the company’s first hybrid wheat products could be available to western Canadian growers by 2023.  |  File photo

Yield-boosting hybrid wheat varieties on the horizon

Farmers in Western Canada have always relied on innovation to make their farms more productive and more profitable. From mechanical innovations such as combine harvesters and rubber wheeled tractors nearly a century ago to the adoption more recently of chemical weed control products, genetically modified crop varieties and GPS assisted machinery, the evolution of prairie […] Read more




CME live cattle soars to 6-month high on cash price hopes

CHICAGO, Dec 29 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Thursday surged to a six-month high, fueled by the recent rally in wholesale beef values and steady-to-firmer cash price expectations for unsold cattle, said traders. December live cattle, which will expire on Friday, closed 2.725 cents per pound higher at 118.700 cents. Most […] Read more