Anxious hog farmers might experience a much better fourth quarter than they expected, a leading U.S. hog market analyst says. Instead of prices slumping as they usually do in October, November and December, they may actually rise, says Chris Hurt of Purdue University. “The fourth quarter, if we can get high $30s (US per hundredweight […] Read more
Ed White
Stories by Ed White
Demand for sunflower seed snack strong
Bright, heavy heads of confectionary sunflowers are standing tall in Manitoba fields, which should have growers feeling sunny about the future. Prices for confectionary sunflowers are strong, even as prices for most other crops have been falling. And their outlook is even better. “Confecs are a nice change from the rest of the crops,” said […] Read more
Great crops, worse prices
On Friday I drove southeast of Winnipeg to a hog farm. All along the route the crops looked great. A week of good weather had sped them along at unbelieveable speed, catching them up many days and closing a lot of the gap between normal maturity and the delayed state almost all prairie crops have […] Read more
Scapegoating the funds
Whenever things go bad, some folks look for the underlying causes of the problem, which are often complex, while others look for a scapegoat. In the aftermath of the commodity boom and bust, “the funds” have often been blamed for the evils of volatility and making cereal more expensive for little children. They’ve been a […] Read more
Doer’s impact on hogs remembered
Gary Doer is done with the top job in Manitoba. While one farm group is glad to be done with him, others are hoping his big new job lets him keep doing. “They didn’t ignore rural issues,” said Keystone Agricultural Producers president Ian Wishart about Doer’s 10 years as premier, noting his support for environmental […] Read more
China’s canola demand uncertain
China drank in much of the excess canola prairie farmers produced last crop year, but analysts say it is too early to tell how thirsty it will be with the new crop. Canola sellers are hoping production problems overseas will keep China in the canola market and nudge it away from its usual bottom feeder […] Read more
Grain commission warns farmers on deregistered varieties
Farmers are getting stung when they deliver deregistered grain to elevators. However, the Canadian Grain Commission hopes to solve the problem by making a lot more noise when varieties are deregistered and convincing farmers that they stand to lose a lot if they don’t take it seriously. “This will be your warning,” said CGC acting […] Read more
Lower wheat protein expected
Cool, damp conditions in the eastern Prairies and cool weather in the west are pushing wheat protein levels low, crop watchers say. That means protein premiums should rise for farmers lucky enough to harvest high protein wheat. “I think we’ll see premiums – if we can pull off some higher proteins – probably return to […] Read more
Doer’s impact on hogs remembered
Gary Doer is done with the top job in Manitoba. While one farm group is glad to be done with him, others are hoping his big new job lets him keep doing. “They didn’t ignore rural issues,” said Keystone Agricultural Producers president Ian Wishart about Doer’s 10 years as premier, noting his support for environmental […] Read more
China’s canola demand uncertain
China drank in much of the excess canola prairie farmers produced last crop year, but analysts say it is too early to tell how thirsty it will be with the new crop. Canola sellers are hoping production problems overseas will keep China in the canola market and nudge it away from its usual bottom feeder […] Read more
