In this week’s fertilizer report: Dear Ottawa: You Can’t Eat an Electric Vehicle; Markets are UP on Trump’s Softer China talk – But Corn and Soybeans Aren’t Buying It; The Next Generation of Growth: Cultivating a New Crop of Agriculture Talent and Innovators; Daily Urea Prices; and North American Urea and Phosphate Price Action.
News of the Week
Dear Ottawa: You Can’t Eat an Electric Vehicle
China is handing Canada a solution on a silver platter to end the trade dispute hurting our farmers. Time for Ottawa to grow up geopolitically and act in the national interest.
China rarely telegraphs its diplomatic intentions so openly. Yet, in recent days, Beijing has done just that — signalling that if Canada were to lift its tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, China would, in turn, remove the punitive tariffs it has placed on Canadian agricultural exports such as canola. In the often-opaque world of trade diplomacy, such clarity is unusual. And in this case, it’s an unmistakable invitation to de-escalate.
(Source: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois)
Dear Ottawa: You Can’t Eat an Electric Vehicle
Markets are UP on Trump’s Softer China talk – But Corn and Soybeans Aren’t Buying It
Ag traders aren’t buying into the trade optimism yet. With harvest ~50% complete, farmers want actual sales, not just talk.

(Source: Peak Trading Research)
The Next Generation of Growth: Cultivating a new crop of agriculture talent and innovators – RBC
- Canadian agriculture has immense potential but an innovation drain is slowing it down.
- The sector is not attracting enough talent.
- The research and development system is becoming less diverse.
- Other countries are pulling ahead.
- Commercialization of agriculture solutions are headed south.
Canada’s agriculture sector has all the ingredients to be the best in the world—productive soils, temperate climate, advanced on-farm mechanization, and a growing agri-food manufacturing sector. The size of the opportunity for Canada really comes into focus when you consider the scale of production as a breadbasket to the world, rapid development of digital tools, which are transforming every aspect of farming, and growing access to expand in high-potential export markets, most notably in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
(Source: RBC)
The Next Generation of Growth: Cultivating a new crop of agriculture talent and innovators – RBC
North America Urea Last Week
According to Direct Hedge, urea NOLA swaps started October at US$386/st and dropped to US$377.50/st on Thursday. The mood in urea globally continues to be bearish.
According to our sources, Western Canada DEL offer price remained at C$789/mt this week. We see more downside risk to this price.
Direct Hedge framed up the urea NOLA market on Thursday morning as follows: Oct was bid/offer US$375/$385/st. Nov was bid/offer US$380/$385/st, Dec was bid/offer US$375/$385/st and Jan was bid/offer US$380/390.
North America Phosphate Last Week
According to our sources, the delivered Western Canada MAP delivered price was still C$1,284/mt offer this week.
We continue to believe that these prices will remain elevated through 2025 in Canada, however there has been a bit of a shift at NOLA with the bid/offer spreads falling WoW. Let’s sit and wait to see how this plays out and how it might affect Canadian prices as we approach calendar 2026.
According to Direct Hedge, MAP NOLA prices were bid/offer US$745/$785/st Oct and Nov and Dec together is offered US$720/st.
Industry Tidbits
- How a soy farmer’s seed became his biggest risk | Ricardo Moreau posted on the topic | LinkedIn
- Huge Black Sea flax crop to provide stiff competition | The Western Producer
- Hedge funds sell agriculture futures amid trade war, dollar strength | Peak Trading Research posted on the topic | LinkedIn
- How Dick Fosbury’s High Jump Can Inspire Agtech Innovation | Dan Schultz posted on the topic | LinkedIn
- Petrobras to restart fertilizer plants in Brazil | EBRAHIM ARGHA posted on the topic | LinkedIn
- The Canola Oil Witch Hunt – by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois