News

• Strong global stocks of most grains and oilseeds is trending prices down.
• Canadian agricultural markets are pulled down by American prices, which are nearing a 5-year low

Livestock & Feed Trends

• Tight beef herds and softening feed costs have maintained high cattle prices
• Consumers have been undeterred by the price of retail beef, which is similarly on the rise due to low supply

• Chinese government has newly approved 189 feed and feed additives in its imports. This is an important step for export diversification and global market access

🌍 Trade & Diplomacy

• Canadian ministers are in China this week to discuss the trade tensions between Canada and China, the potential reopening of canola, pulse, and pork market access, and establishing diplomacy now for future trade negotiations
• EU-Mercosur Deal Update: despite farmer protests and government leaders declaring their lack of support, the free trade deal is still in negotiation in European legislation. If approved, Canadian exporters would be required to diversify, as many of our importers would switch to cheaper South/Central American beef, poultry, and sugar.

• Government Priorities: the Strategic Research Initiative ($2.5M) aims to improve the long term management of herbicide resistant weeds. Similarly, the Western Grain Research Foundation ($2.7M) is turning its focus to improving long term yield, competitiveness, and climate resilience in the Prairies

🔬Specific Research

• Bee Heat: high temperatures can impact bees' natural ability to climate-control themselves. This conclusion corroborates calls for pollinator-protection policies and increased health and management regulations.
• Stomata In-Sight: researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a "direct window into plant physiology", giving real time tracking of carbon and water exchange within plants. This discovery supports the move towards precision agriculture, and will speed up crop response modelling and crop breeding

• Regulating Canada's Bees: the CFIA has defended their stance on package bee imports and the quality of their risk assessment process, to the disappointment of many Canadian beekeepers
• Federal government is moving forward with a review of Canada's GM food labelling, potentially increasing the value these technologies for consumers, seed developers, crop breeders, and market competition.
• Beef Traceability: Canadian Cattleman's Association clarified that, despite claiming to come into effect January 1, 2026, no new beef traceability regulations are currently in place. Rather, discussions are in continuance
• Potato Problems?: the CFIA has opened a portal for industry to provide feedback into how Canadian potato regulations can be modernized. Specific insights could include opinion on seed certification and disease mitigation.