Guessing currency directions makes most people look like fools. Some people – analysts – have currency forecasting as part of their job descriptions. I imagine they hate that part of their jobs. There’s one happy factor in the world of currency forecasting: trends go on for a long time when they get going. A famous […] Read more
Ed White
Stories by Ed White
Small rallies possible for edible bean market
At a time of record-setting soybean and corn crops, edible bean production in Canada and the United States has been declining. That’s allowed bean prices to stay higher and more profitable than the big acreage North American crops. “Generally, they’ve been firmer and have held the line in terms of lower production in the last […] Read more
Dip in sunflower prices not expected to last
Old crop sunflower prices have softened, but many producers are banking on a rebound in the second half of this crop year. New crop contracts have also dropped, but some producers assume it is just a pause before interest and better prices return. “Right now we need to get some support (from end users),” Grant […] Read more
Demand from developing countries to perk up hog market
Most hog producers are not spending much time thinking about their long-term outlook. However, long-time pork industry leader Ted Bilyea says farmers have a reason to be optimistic about life after this crisis – if they do things right. “The world market will be there,” Bilyea said during the Manitoba Swine Seminar. “Whether you will […] Read more
Cost per pound of gain, not feed conversion, key to efficient hog production
Hog producers thinking about feed are often like teenage boys choosing a first car: they focus on raw power rather than efficiency. However, farmers should step back from their focus on high feed conversion rates and think instead about the duller concept of cost per pound of gain, a major American producer told the recent […] Read more
Farmer raises ire at KAP for scolding livestock sector
Farmer unity sounds great in theory, but are western Canadian farmers willing to shut up to achieve it? Producers have been pondering that question this winter at farm meetings in Manitoba. “We speak against each other,” analyst Larry Weber said during a market outlook presentation at Manitoba Ag Days, noting Quebec farm groups do better […] Read more
Plan for the inevitable to protect your family
BRANDON – Farmers create big tax risks for their families by not dealing with their inevitable deaths, says a farm financial expert. “What happens if you die tomorrow? What happens if I die today,” are two of the questions farmers need to ponder, Shawn Friesen of BDO Dunwoody said during a presentation at Manitoba Ag […] Read more
Down, flat, kinda uppy?
So how are you feeling about crop prices? Down? Flat? Kind of uppy? There were reasons offered by crop market analysts at the Manitoba Special Crops Symposium, which has been going on here in Winnipeg for the past two days, for feeling all three ways. Where are we at? That’s where all the analysts agree: […] Read more
How low will markets go?
There are signs that the significant slump in crop and hog markets since mid-January may have ended. However, analysts are divided as to whether this is a long-term bottom or just a pause on the way to the real bottom. “Fundamentally, there’s not much behind this,” said Joe Victor of market analysis firm Allendale Inc. […] Read more
Closing hog barn may have repercussions
Local bylaws and provincial regulations might ban hog barns from going back into production if they have been shut down for three years. Sheri Grift of Manitoba Agriculture warned hog farmers at last week’s Manitoba Swine Seminar that they need to be careful if they take part in the federal barn mothballing program. She advised […] Read more
