Markets
As soon as vaccine requirements were imposed on truckers crossing the border, shipments of Manitoba pigs and soymeal got cancelled. “We’re already hearing reports that shipments of weanlings have been cancelled because of a lack of trucks and drivers,” Cam Dahl, general manager of Manitoba Pork Council, said in an interview. “I’ve had reports of […] Read more
Markets
Widespread rains bring relief to Argentina’s grain crops
BUENOS AIRES, Jan 17 (Reuters) – Heavy rainfall has brought relief to Argentina’s main agricultural areas over the weekend, interrupting several weeks of dry weather that led the Rosario grains exchange to trim its forecasts for both soybean and corn production. German Heinzenknecht, meteorologist at the Applied Climatology Consultancy (CCA), said the weekend showers came […] Read more
Renewable diesel plant, canola crusher planned for Sask.
Federated Co-operatives Limited and AGT Food and Ingredients are building a $360 million canola crush facility in Regina, the third major crush project announced for that city in less than a year. The project will be part of a broader $2 billion integrated agriculture complex investment by FCL that includes construction of a renewable diesel […] Read more
China 2021 pork output leaps 29 percent, recoups most of production lost to swine fever
BEIJING, Jan 17 (Reuters) – China’s 2021 pork output jumped 29 percent from the previous year, official data showed on Monday, recouping most of the production lost during a devastating outbreak of African swine fever two years before. Annual output reached 52.96 million tonnes last year, just below the 53.4 million tonnes produced in 2017, […] Read more
Mustard supply evaporates following drought
Simply put, 2021 was not a good year for mustard growers. The average yield was about 40 percent of normal and Canadian farmers only produced 50,000 tonnes of mustard seed — a fraction of the typical output. “It’s the smallest crop for decades… in Western Canada,” said Chuck Penner, owner of LeftField Commodity Research, who […] Read more
Major spring wheat rally not expected
Analysts don’t anticipate a repeat of 2007-08, which is when futures prices hit US$24; sideways to declining trend more likely
Growers who are holding their breath for US$24 spring wheat futures need to exhale, says an analyst. “Not a chance,” said Chuck Penner, owner of LeftField Commodity Research. That is the level that futures values achieved in 2007-08 but the circumstances were far different back then. The Canadian Wheat Board was a major player at […] Read more
Chinese corn production may be on its way back up again
Industry doesn’t expect the country’s renewed focus on the crop will bring back massive surpluses that affect the market
China’s corn production seems to be back on track after a five-year hiatus, but one analyst isn’t expecting a return to bloated government stockpiles of the crop. The country produced 273 million tonnes of corn in 2021, according to recently released official Chinese government estimates. That is a 12 percent increase over the previous year’s […] Read more
Plant protein era: obligation and opportunity
Producers who grow crops for companies such as Merit Functional Foods must adhere to strict contract requirements
Farmers supplying the Merit Functional Foods pea and canola plant are seeing the reality of the high-value ingredients business. It’s one in which the usual gulf between on-field production and end-use consumption is being bridged by tight specifications and close oversight. “If we’re selling to a customer in Europe, what does it mean for a […] Read more
January weather poses challenges for some global crops
Weather stresses in South America lifted oilseed prices over the holidays and into the new year but big wheat harvests in Australia and Argentina put downward pressure on the price. However, wheat still has support from weather issues threatening the American winter wheat crop and North Africa. Last week, two private forecasters downgraded their expectations […] Read more
Biden’s packer attack example of good-sounding rhetoric
The best fighter for farmer fairness since Teddy Roosevelt. Doesn’t that sound great? That’s one thing U.S. President Joe Biden got called last week as he led a White House roundtable attacking corporate concentration among U.S. meatpackers, whom he accused of the “exploitation” of farmers. It was a chance for Biden to point the finger […] Read more
