The world’s second most populous country is shaking up its agriculture policy and whether it gets it right could have major implications for global food trade. India has little room for error. Its population is expected to surpass China’s in a few years and its demographic is younger. Its position in the development curve is […] Read more
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Canola prices have opportunity to make further gains
Several developments lifted oilseed prices last week but gains in canola are lagging behind the pace set by soybeans. There is an argument that canola’s supply and demand picture is tighter than what official forecasts indicate and it is time for its price to catch up. But first, here is what happened last week. Strong […] Read more
Will China’s booming food imports continue their run?
China is hungry for imported crops and meat and even with our diplomatic tensions Canada is helping supply what the Asian giant wants. Much has been made of China buying American crops to meet its commitments under the phase one trade deal signed in January. But in wheat trade, Canada through the summer actually shipped […] Read more
COVID-19’s renewed onslaught stalls economic revival
Grain futures prices stalled near multi-year highs last week as increasing worry about the resurgent coronavirus cast a pall over what had been the steady stream of market supporting news this fall. All markets, from stocks to energy to grain, staggered when soaring infection numbers caused governments in European countries to impose increased restrictions to […] Read more
Shrinking production, booming exports drive up prices
If rallies need a steady diet of market-supporting news to move higher, then they are chowing down on a buffet table heavy with tasty dishes this fall. Most weekly export reports in the United States and Canada are meeting or exceeding traders’ expectations and rain forecasts in South America and Russia continue to be less […] Read more
An environmental story can be spun for GM wheat
The question of whether the world wants genetically modified wheat has arisen again following Argentina’s conditional approval of a new altered variety designed to be drought tolerant and herbicide resistant. The approval is contingent on getting an OK from Brazil, its biggest market, and that country’s wheat association Abitrigo says a survey of wheat millers […] Read more
Oilseeds look set to break above long-term resistance
This fall’s crop price rally is driven in part not by current supply and demand fundamentals, but by worries about what might happen to crops to be harvested next year. We can’t ignore the market support from current strong demand from China and elsewhere, but a good portion of the market action is driven by […] Read more
American corn supply tighter than grain trade expected
Last week the United States Department of Agriculture’s quarter stocks report wiped about 6.55 million tonnes of corn off its books, a shocking move that lifted the crop’s price, at least for a while. Only a few weeks before, the part of the USDA that does production and demand forecasts for the World Agricultural Supply […] Read more
Here’s what to watch following recent market correction
Most equity and commodity markets sold off last week, spooked by increasing worries about rising global COVID-19 infections and political uncertainty in the United States. After an excellent run up through the summer, traders decided to take profits and reduce risk exposure. In agricultural markets, the focus shifted from the strong weekly American export sales […] Read more
Canola rallying but might hit resistance to going higher
Oilseed values globally, including canola, are rolling higher as demand rises and production forecasts shrink. Recent data showing disappointing canola yields in Canada are helping to lift the value of that crop, but it has lots of additional momentum from rising values for soybeans and soy oil. From the start of August to Sept. 18, […] Read more
