Markets
China’s hog and pork prices have risen exponentially but that has not caused an increase in herd size, according to Chinese government statistics. The Ministry of Agriculture is reporting that wholesale pork prices in October are nearly double what they were the same time last year, while hog prices are up nearly 140 percent, according […] Read more
Markets
Rising input costs may overwhelm cattle prices
Drought-induced herd reductions and increasing production costs threaten to spoil brighter beef market for producers
Beef prices are up. So is the availability of feed combined with tighter margins for packers and the dwindling inventory of North American cattle. That should have the market trajectory heading in the right direction. But scratch the surface of the market and things aren’t necessarily as rosy as they might appear. “It’s pretty good,” […] Read more
Diesel prices to remain high
Prairie farmers and trucking companies facing record high diesel fuel costs aren’t likely to see a reduction in rack prices soon, says a well-known fuel market analyst. Roger McKnight, chief petroleum analyst with En-Pro International, said there’s no relief in sight when it comes to sky-high diesel prices. North American inventories of middle distillates, which […] Read more
India’s pulse crop disappoints
India’s current pulse crop is disappointing, and that could mean strong lentil demand, says an analyst. The government is forecasting 8.4 million tonnes of kharif (summer) pulse production, which is well below its target of 10.5 million tonnes. “India will certainly face tight supplies of domestic kharif pulses in 2022-23,” Guruswamy Chandrashekhar, senior editor of […] Read more
Drought, looming rail strike threaten U.S. transportation
Grain markets might soon feel the effects of two transportation issues in the United States, one related to drought, the other to a possible railway labour disruption. U.S. crop exports, particularly corn, are already lagging expectations and are limiting hopes for a price rally, and that negativity could spread into wheat and other crop markets. […] Read more
Want to challenge your optimistic nature? Meet Dr. Doom
By nature, I’m an optimist. If you’re a farmer, you are too. There’s no way to keep farming after all the challenges and calamities, the droughts, floods, price slumps, cost surges, market shutdowns and other catastrophes that farmers have faced without being an optimist. Most farmers are “next year country” people in bad times and […] Read more
Tight fertilizer sparks food production worries
Major manufacturer estimates global grain yields would drop 43 percent in one year if farmers stopped applying nitrogen
The head of the world’s leading fertilizer company is worried that food production will falter as nitrogen fertilizer supplies tighten. “We are deeply concerned about the state of global agriculture,” Svein Tore Holsether, president of Yara International, said during the company’s third quarter 2022 conference call. Fertilizer supplies are being squeezed as manufacturers curtail production […] Read moreWP livestock report
Hogs The U.S. national live price average for barrows and gilts was $72.78 Oct. 28. It wasn’t available Oct. 21. U.S. hogs averaged $90.54 on a carcass basis Oct. 28, up from $88.89 Oct. 21. The U.S. pork cutout was $101.34 per hundredweight Oct. 28, up from $100.94 Oct. 21. The estimated U.S. weekly slaughter […] Read more
Canfax report
This cattle market information is selected from the weekly report from Canfax, a division of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. More market information, analysis and statistics are available by becoming a Canfax subscriber by calling 403-275-5110 or at www.canfax.ca. Americans are buying Stagnant Canadian fed markets got a boost last week as American buyers procured cash […] Read more
Organic crop market finds stability
Conventional grain markets have been described as volatile, but processors of organic grains are using a different descriptor. “I do believe we’re looking at stability,” said Matt Speidel, a buyer with Avena Foods. The term “stability” was mentioned numerous times during the Organic Grain Markets webinar hosted by SaskOrganics. Demand for most organic crops remains […] Read more
