Tom Vilsack fears the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement will collapse if approval is stalled by onerous amendments
PHOENIX, Ariz. — The U.S. agriculture secretary is urging farmers to phone their members of Congress to push for passage of a trade promotion authority bill. “I’m asking today for you to get engaged,” Tom Vilsack told the more than 7,700 growers attending the 2015 Commodity Classic. “I’m asking you today to help us convince […] Read more
Sean Pratt
Stories by Sean Pratt
Spring could see rush on fertilizer, warns U.S. market analyst
PHOENIX, Ariz. — A U.S. grain market analyst is warning growers that fertilizer supplies could be tight this spring. “One thing that scares the hell out of me when it comes to this fertilizer market is that we didn’t get much down last fall,” said Chip Flory, host of Market Rally Radio. It means a […] Read more
Argentina holds soy market wildcard
PHOENIX, Az. — Argentina’s stockpile of old crop is the big wildcard in the soybean market, says Mark Gold, owner of Top Third Ag Marketing. “One of my very good friends is probably one of the greatest traders in the world and he believes we are going to see Argentina release a lot of beans […] Read more
Grain market analyst expects price rally
By Sean Pratt PHOENIX, Arizona — Bryce Knorr kicked off the 2015 commodity classic on a cheery note talking about corn and soybean markets. “I have good news. I think there is hope for a rally,” said the senior grain market analyst with Farm Futures. There have been nine times in the past 20 years […] Read more
Is it time to relax land ownership restrictions?
Deb Smith’s blood boils when she thinks of her son having to compete with a $234 billion pension fund to buy a parcel of farmland. That is what could happen in the wake of the recent ruling by the Saskatchewan Farm Land Security Board that the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is eligible to buy […] Read more
Prices rising but profits still borderline
Canola futures are rallying, but when fixed costs and average yields are factored in, $10 per bushel doesn’t impress many farmers
New crop canola bids have hit $10 per bushel in some locations, but it might not be enough to persuade farmers to sign on the dotted line “If you can pencil in a profit at $10, great,” said Brian Voth, senior market coach with Agri-Trend Marketing in Manitoba. “Unfortunately, probably most farms would be borderline […] Read moreForeign investors hit paydirt
There has been a marked change in Saskatchewan farmland ownership over the past two decades, according to a new study. Investment funds, pension plans and megafarms own an increasing amount of Saskatchewan dirt. The study looked at land ownership in three rural municipalities where there has been significant turnover: Excel, southwest of Regina; Lajord, southeast […] Read more
Broadacre executives receive extension, retention bonuses
Editor’s note: This story has been altered from the original online version and the print version to acknowledge that some documents have since been redacted. A judge has approved a plan to retain the executives of a failed large Saskatchewan farm to oversee the sale of its assets. The Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta […] Read more
China helps fill fertilizer gap
Growers can thank China not only for bolstering crop prices but for keeping input costs in check, says a fertilizer analyst. David Asbridge, president of NPK Fertilizer Advisory Service, said urea prices could have been ugly last year if it wasn’t for the Asian powerhouse. Production curtailments in Ukraine and Egypt caused a dramatic reduction […] Read more
Strong flax market may soon weaken: analyst
One of the bright lights in the grain and oilseed sector could be dimming. Brian Johnson, general manager of commodities with Johnson Seeds, said there is a bearish factor looming in the flax market. One of the reasons flax prices have been so good in 2014-15 is that a significant portion of the Black Sea […] Read more
