Standing sunflower crops may look like they are hanging their heads in mourning, but farmers aren’t feeling bad about prices. On top of good prices for the sunflower crop, which is being harvested and marketed now, 2008-09 bids are appearing that promise farmers a profitable coming growing season. “We’re very excited about the opportunities,” said […] Read more
Ed White
Stories by Ed White
Chinese favour soybeans
Canadian canola promoters can be forgiven for feeling like they have been banging their heads against the Great Wall. After years of trying to get canola imports treated equally with soybeans, the situation has not improved. It has worsened. “It just doesn’t seem to make any sense,” said Dave Hickling of the Canola Council of […] Read more
Wheat outlook dips, but rally not ruled out
A weaker wheat Pool Return Outlook reflects lower wheat futures, a rising Canadian dollar and Russian competition, but the market is in flux and further rallies can’t be ruled out. In its recent PRO, the Canadian Wheat Board dropped expected wheat prices by $2 to $5 a tonne compared to its September estimate. On Oct. […] Read more
Oats ride lowest on price chart
No one wants to feed $2.50 per bushel oats to their livestock. It seems like a crazy idea. After all, aren’t feed grains the cheap crops you only get value from by feeding them to a hog or calf? But if you aren’t going to feed $2.50 oats to the livestock, what are you going […] Read more
Big feeders unlikely to use oats
Will commercial livestock feeders pour oats down the throats of pigs and cattle this winter? Not likely, said feed grain broker Doug Chambers of Quality Grain. “Oats may look cheaper by the bushel because you can buy it for $2.50, but when you factor everything in, paying $4 for barley is a better deal.” That’s […] Read more
Bean snack wins top prize
The names were impressive: Cornell, Michigan State, Purdue, Rutgers, State University of New Mexico, Texas A and M. But where it mattered, in front of the judges at the AACC International annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas, name-power evaporated and personality won the day. “I think we brought a lot of emotion,” said Alex Anton, […] Read more
Foreign university students now consider Canada home
The winters of Winnipeg may not seem that attractive to a Canadian when compared to the beaches of Rio, the romance of Lithuania or the excitement of Shanghai. But to a batch of foreign students, life on the dull Prairies is just fine. “I want to stay here,” said LiLi Zhang, a Chinese graduate student […] Read more
Hedging opportunities abound
If bad weather hits the world’s crops next spring and summer, prices could shoot much higher than this year’s levels. So why do some marketing advisers suggest locking in some 2008-09 crop prices soon? “If guys are doing their budgets and they realize they’re going to be paying more for inputs, for fertilizer and fuel, […] Read more
Hog producers haven’t seen worst of price crisis
The last thing hog producers want to hear is that the full weight of the present price storm might not yet have struck. But that’s a real possibility, says Jim Robb of the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver, Colorado. “By historical norms we would say it’s too early to be the bottom of the […] Read more
Price-fixing complaint rejected
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. – Farmers won’t get an official investigation into input price fixing allegations, the federal Competition Bureau has decided. But Manitoba farmers aren’t going to shut up about the issue. “We need to find out why those prices are as high as they are,” said Robert McLean, vice-president of Keystone Agricultural Producers, […] Read more
