Canadian National Railway interim president Jean-Jacques Ruest says the company will clear grain backlogs across its network. In a news release issued March 7, Ruest said additional staff and equipment will be deployed. “We apologize for not meeting the expectations of our grain customers, nor our own high standards,” he said. “The entire CN team […] Read more
News
Prairie spring road restrictions starting soon
Winnipeg(CNS Canada) – Much of Western Canada may still be blanked by snow following recent storm activity, but spring is just around the corner and seasonal weight restrictions will soon be coming into place to disrupt grain movement. The annual spring road restrictions set axle weight limits for vehicles moving on certain roads in an […] Read more
Grain export figures summarize six-month performance
The Canadian Grain Commission has released figures that shed new light on the pace of Canada’s agricultural exports in the first half of the 2017-18 crop year. Not surprisingly, the figures show a drastic reduction in exports of Canadian field peas and lentils. However, the pace of wheat and canola shipments — Western Canada’s two […] Read more
Trump upsets trade world with tariff proposals
It’s been a busy day for Canada-United States trade. It all started at 5:47 a.m. when Donald Trump typed out a convoluted tweet, linking steel tariffs, Canadian restrictions on U.S. agricultural goods and the North American Free Trade Deal. “Tariffs on steel and aluminum will come off if new & fair NAFTA agreement is signed. […] Read more
New Indian chickpea duty not a hard hit
An increase in India’s chickpea levies made big news last week, but the bulk of Canadian acres weren’t affected. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a problem. The levy went to 30 percent without notice in December, 40 percent in February and now 60 percent. It appears to only affect desi chickpeas. “As we understand […] Read more
CN to replace top executive
Canadian National Railway is looking for a new chief executive officer. The company’s board of directors announced March 5 that Luc Jobin, the company’s CEO since 2016, is leaving CN immediately. In a March 5 news release, CN said Jean-Jacques Ruest will serve as CN’s interim president and chief executive officer until a permanent replacement […] Read more
Canola, wheat doing well, CDN dollar not so much
WINNIPEG – ICE Futures Canada canola contracts moved to their highest levels in three months during the week ended March 2, having posted gains for 10 straight sessions. Losses in the Canadian dollar and gains in Chicago Board of Trade soybeans helped keep speculators on the buy side. While the May canola contract rose by […] Read more
Weekly Manitoba cattle report
WINNIPEG(CNS) – The effects of this winter’s cold temperatures are starting to become evident as cattle in Manitoba seem to be showing up at auctions weighing slightly more than last year. “Cattle eat well in the cold and they eat more when it’s cold,” said Allan Munroe of Killarney Auction Mart. He adds last year’s […] Read more
Prairie wheat bids rise as dollar falls
Winnipeg(CNS Canada) – Most wheat bids in Western Canada rose over the week ended March 2, following the lead of the United States futures and taking strength from a weak Canadian dollar. Depending on the location, average Canada Western Red Spring (13.5 percent protein CWRS) wheat prices rose in Western Canada by C$1 to C$5, […] Read more
U.S. farm group pressing Trump on NAFTA
Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. Trade Representative, has said that trade between Canada and the U.S. should be balanced, which means the amount of goods flowing south into America should equal the amount of goods moving north into Canada. Put another way, the country that exports more product is the winner and the country that imports […] Read more
