PRAIRIE ROUTES
NEWS

🌟 Editor’s Note:

Mornin’ y’all! While everyone is pretending they’re from texas this week… let’s dive into your weekly scan! Stay cool, stay sharp, and may your hay yields be higher than your stress levels.

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MARKET PULSE

1. July 7th Commodities

🛢️ Energy – Oil Stabilizes amid Mixed Signals

Brent is steady around $69, and WTI holds near $67.92 (Aug), as markets balance easing Middle East tensions with summer demand and tighter U.S. inventories. Keep an eye on geopolitical flare-ups from this region, they could quickly disrupt this calm. 

🏅 Metals – Gold Pulls Back Slightly

Even with a upwards trend yesterday, Gold has eased from recent highs, trading around $3,342 (Aug) end-of-day. Investors have taken some profits as risk appetite returns while awaiting key inflation data.

🌾 Grains – Canola Dips, Corn Cools

Canola futures edged down 2–3% on recent rain in Western Canada and weak soybean support, trading between C$680–725/MT (Jul). July Corn futures slip after USDA report release yesterday morning to 416.4 EOD.

🔍 Summary Snapshot

• Oil: Watching carefully—stable now but primed for geopolitical shocks.

• Gold: Cooling off, still solid as a hedge.

• Canola: Minor pullback, but fundamentals remain firm.

• Corn & Grains: Quiet, waiting on crop data.

📌 Bottom Line: Commodities are consolidating. The next moves hinge on geopolitical headlines, weather developments, and crop reports.

Not financial advice.
Data sources: APnews.com, Morningstar.com, MarketWatch.com, Exchange-rates.org, Agriculture.com, YahooFinance.com, Barchart.com 

BULLISH & BEARISH

2. Bulls on Parade… or Bear Traps Ahead?

Bullish:

• 🥩 Beef Market: Cattle prices remain relatively stable with a bit of incline over the past 5 days as grilling season heats up, experiencing strong cross-border movement. realag

• 📈 Global food prices nudged higher in June, led by gains in meat and vegetable oils. Strong demand for poultry and tighter palm and sunflower oil supplies pushed prices up, especially in Asia and the Middle East. bloomberg

Bearish:

• 🌽 July 2025 corn futures at $4.165/bu, soybeans at $10.2075/bu. USDA reports a slight drop in corn acreage. GrainFarmersOntario | DTN.com

• 🇺🇸 U.S. Meat Export Federation objects to Canadian trade safeguards, complicating ongoing trade negotiations. USMEF

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NUMBER OF INTEREST

$2,000,000,000

Farm Credit Canada (FCC) just made a big move, pledging $2 billion toward agtech investments by 2030—a serious signal that innovation is now core to the future of Canadian farming. The funding will support everything from startups building AI-powered tools to large-scale agribusiness tech upgrades, with a focus on improving productivity, sustainability, and resilience in the ag sector.

INCASE YOU MISSED IT

3. Quick Hits on Policy and Relevant News

🪾Prairie Drought Deepens: For the ninth year running, Prairie farmers are battling severe drought. Crops in southwest Saskatchewan are so short that many will be salvaged for feed, and some multi-generation farms may not survive. States of emergency have been declared, and both crop and cattle producers are facing tough choices. Toronto.citynews

🐂 Cattle on the Move: Ranchers are moving herds hundreds of kilometres in search of green pastures, and some are reducing herd sizes due to dried-up pastures and high feed costs. Toronto.citynews

🤝 Bunge-Viterra merger closes, creating a new grain giant. The deal is expected to reshape global supply chains but has raised concerns about market consolidation and potential losses for Canadian farmers. Merger Details

🏃‍♂️ Digital ag policy report: Canada’s piecemeal approach to digital agriculture is holding the sector back, says a new report. Calls for a decade-long sprint to invest in digital tools and rural connectivity. Policy Report

💵 CAAIN launches new 2025 agtech funding competitions for Canadian innovators. CAAIN-2025