Carbon Tax, Cost Of Grain Drying Discussed This Week In Ottawa

The country's agriculture ministers met this week in Ottawa.

 

Blaine Pedersen is Manitoba's Minister of Agriculture and Resource Development.

 

"When we were having our discussions with the federal minister, we certainly reiterated the cost of the carbon tax on propane and natural gas use for drying the crops," he said. "There's a lot of drying that happened this fall. She has asked us to put together some numbers in Manitoba's case, what the extra cost will be and so we'll be reaching out to the farm community to pull together some of the numbers, because I know they are substantial."

 

Other topics of discussion at the meeting included Business Risk Management, African swine fever, and trade issues.

Video: USDA Feb Crop Report a WIN for Soybeans + 1 Year Trade Truce Extension

USDA took Trumps comments that China would buy more U.S. soybeans seriously and headline news that the U.S./China trade truce would be extended when Trump/Xi meet in the first week of April was a BIG WIN for soybeans this week! 2026 “Mini” U.S. ethanol boom thanks to 45Z + China’s ban of phosphates from Feb. – August of 2026 will not help lower fertilizer prices anytime soon! 30 mmt of Chinese corn harvest is of poor quality and maybe a technical breakout in wheat futures.

*Apologies! Where we talk about the latest CFTC update as of 10th Feb 2026, managed money funds covered their net short position in canola to the tune of +42,746 week-on-week to flip to net long 145 contracts and not (as we mistakenly said) +90,009 wk/wk to 47,408.