Proposed ammendments to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard include a 20 per cent cap on the amount of biomass-based diesel (biodiesel and renewable diesel) that can be made from soybean and canola oil. | File photo

California shocks canola sector

SASKATOON — Canada’s canola processors have been blindsided by proposed amendments to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. “We’re surprised and disappointed with what they’re proposing,” said Chris Vervaet, executive director of the Canadian Oilseed Processors Association. Related stories: The California Air Resource Board (CARB) published its proposed amendments Aug. 12. They include a 20 per […] Read more

Exports to Mexico totaled 279,900 tonnes through the first seven months of the 2023-24 campaign. That is down from 801,100 tonnes for the same period a year ago, a 65 percent drop. | Viterra photo

Canadian canola exports to Mexico plummet 65 per cent

Canada is expected to remain Mexico's largest supplier of canola, but Australia is making major inroads in that market

SASKATOON — Canada’s canola shipments to Mexico are plummeting. Exports to that destination totaled 279,900 tonnes through the first seven months of the 2023-24 campaign. Related stories: That is down from 801,100 tonnes for the same period a year ago, a 65 percent drop. Canadian canola sales have generally been lacklustre to date, but the […] Read more

In a statement, the Competition Bureau said the deal was "likely to result in substantial anti-competitive effects and a significant loss of rivalry between Viterra and Bunge in agricultural markets in Canada." | Glacier FarmMedia photo

Bunge-Viterra merger worries competition bureau

UPDATED – April 24, 2024 – 0900 CST – OTTAWA (Reuters) — Canada’s Competition Bureau says it has found major competition concerns around U.S. grains merchant Bunge’s proposed acquisition of Glencore-backed Viterra, throwing an obstacle before a global agriculture merger that is unprecedented in dollar value. The deal would create a company worth $34 billion, […] Read more


The amount of UCO being imported into the United States has surprised everyone, including the U.S. government. Imports in 2023 were large enough to produce 600 million gallons of the fuel. | Reuters photo

Used cooking oil amount proves surprising

SASKATOON — Canada’s canola oil is facing stiff competition from used cooking oil (UCO) and tallow in renewable diesel markets. The amount of UCO being imported into the United States has surprised everyone, including the U.S. government. Imports in 2023 were large enough to produce 600 million gallons of the fuel. Related stories: That exceeds […] Read more

Healthy canola oil could use further image boost

Healthy canola oil could use further image boost

At the risk of preaching to the choir, note this: canola oil is a nutritious food ingredient, far preferable to many other options on the market. It has just seven per cent saturated fat, the least among common cooking oils, and has the most plant-based omega-3 fat levels. It is a source of omega-6 fat […] Read more


Shipments of canola oil to the U.S. have more than doubled to $3.9 billion from $1.7 billion between 2018 and 2022. | File photo

Canadian agricultural exports to U.S. surpass imports

SASKATOON — Canada has built a sizable agricultural trade balance surplus with the United States. The balance totalled $18.3 billion in 2022, up from $1.8 billion in 1993. “While the trade balance has fluctuated over the past 30 years, Canada consistently maintained a positive trade balance with the U.S. when it comes to agriculture, agri-food […] Read more

Canadian exporters sent a record 2.6 million tonnes of canola oil south of the border in 2022-23 and that number is expected to rise considerably in future years. | File photo

U.S. goes on canola oil buying spree

Canada’s canola oil shipments to the United States are booming as the country’s renewable diesel industry accelerates. Canadian exporters sent a record 2.6 million tonnes south of the border in 2022-23 and that number is expected to rise in future years. “We envision that trend continuing,” said Chris Vervaet, executive director of the Canadian Oilseed […] Read more

A blue commercial jetliner is about to land at a large airport.

Sustainable aviation fuel facility proposed for Manitoba

Provincial and federal governments kick in $2.9 million to support an engineering design study for the $1.9 billion project

Douglas Cole said he believes the market for sustainable aviation fuel is poised to skyrocket. The feedstocks for the proposed sustainable aviation fuel plant in Portage la Prairie would likely be canola and soybean oil.



A had is holding up a bottle of No Name canola oil with a canola field just starting to bloom in the background.

Contaminated food taken to a new level

Agriculture and the illicit drug trade don’t usually have a lot in common — with the exception, maybe, of illegal marijuana grow-ops. But a recent story out of Australia dragged one of Canada’s more well-known agricultural exports into the seamier side of international trade. Australian police announced last week that they had seized four separate […] Read more

A low angle photo of a lush, green soybean field.

Oilseeds retooled for biofuel

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Reuters) — Deep within a suburban St. Louis warehouse, rows of ID-tagged soybean plants, bred using artificial intelligence, stretch toward precision-timed grow lights and sway as fans circulate a custom mix of carbon dioxide and humidity. These soy varieties in Benson Hill’s 47,000 sq. foot “crop accelerator” produce beans with exceptionally high […] Read more