Oat growers looking to lock in a price for their new crop should act now, because millers are already filling their quotas. “I just got off the phone with one of the mills and they’ve completely filled their new crop demand,” Randy Strychar, an oat market specialist with Ag Commodity Research, said last week. That […] Read more
Robert Arnason
Stories by Robert Arnason
Man. announces buffer zones for fertilizer
In its effort to protect Lake Winnipeg, the Manitoba government has banned the application of fertilizer beside the province’s rivers and streams. On March 22, Christine Melnick, Manitoba’s water stewardship minister, announced buffer zones of 15 metres next to rivers and 30 metres for the province’s lakes. The regulations apply to all types of land […] Read more
Feed wheat contract on life support
The feed wheat contract on ICE Futures Canada may not be dead, but the funeral director is on speed dial. Open interest in the Winnipeg contract has dwindled to 39 contracts. In comparison, last week open interest in the canola contract was more than 170,000. Adding to feed wheat’s woes is that all 39 positions […] Read more
Impact of trading limit increases unclear
ICE Futures Canada increased trading limits on canola last week to $45 a tonne from $30, but market participants are not sure if that’s a help or hindrance. “It’s a bit of both. If you widen the range you increase the likelihood that the market will trade that day,” said Peter Rowe, vice-president of merchandising […] Read more
Grain traders see volatility driving interest in options
Normally known as the winter doldrums, this market season has been everything but cold and dull. It’s nearly impossible to read a market report that doesn’t include the word volatility, and commodity risk managers probably haven’t slept since New Year’s Day. Given the continuing market turmoil, how are grain traders coping with the unpredictable price […] Read more
Company says job losses at end
Viterra’s chief executive officer says the company will complete its efficiency program this year, but employees shouldn’t fear further job losses in 2008. Speaking to reporters March 12 following Viterra’s first annual meeting of shareholders in Winnipeg, Mayo Schmidt said the company’s staffing levels are now stable and it is recruiting new employees. “We’ve taken […] Read more
Viterra poised for expansion: Schmidt
After a year of unprecedented change and growth, Viterra has no plans to rest on its laurels, says Mayo Schmidt, company chief executive officer and president. “Our next step must be to grow,” said Schmidt. “The creation of Viterra was not an end goal, but a launch pad for growth.” Viterra, which evolved from last […] Read more
Extend hog barn ban: critics
Opponents of Manitoba’s hog industry want the NDP government to maintain a ban on new hog barns across the entire province. “We’re terrified they (hog barns) are going to spread to western Manitoba,” said Lindy Clubb, spokesperson for Wolf Creek Conservation and the Mixed Woods Forest Society. Clubb and representatives of three other environmental groups […] Read more
Canola drop called correction
The red-hot oilseed market appears to have cooled off for now. The May, July and November contracts on the Winnipeg ICE Futures Canada exchange finished down the limit $30 per tonne on four consecutive days last week. The May contract lost 17 percent of its value, dropping from a contract high of $769.90 a tonne […] Read more
Carbon credits may bring cash
The president of Keystone Agricultural Producers likes to compare the endless discussion about greenhouse gas emissions to an environmental threat from 30 years ago. Ian Wishart says the public debate and dark clouds surrounding acid rain are similar to today’s concerns about greenhouse gas. “We’re talking about the same kind of situation,” Wishart told the […] Read more
