Markets
What are the connections between falling Canadian soybean acreage, a Rabobank analysis of the impact of African swine fever in China, strong beef exports to Asia, and reports by Food and Consumer Products of Canada and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce on impediments to food industry sustainability and competitiveness? For the purposes of this column […] Read more
Markets
Wet spring affects U.S. spring wheat plans
A USDA prediction for a three percent decline in production is looking likely as wet conditions prevent seeding
Jim Peterson initially scoffed at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s first attempt at pegging spring wheat acres. In its March Prospective Plantings report, the USDA forecast 12.83 million acres, a three percent decline from the previous year. Peterson, policy director for the North Dakota Wheat Commission, was forecasting a bigger switch out of durum and […] Read more
Sick of talking about China?
Me too, but we're going to keep doing it
Put your hand up if you’re sick of talking about China all the time. Yup, as I suspected, there are lots of hands up out there in Readerland. How about this: If you’re sick of talking about China and you know it, clap your hands! Knew it. Lots of clapping out there. Heck, I’m sick […] Read more
Shortage of winter rain threatens Morocco’s durum crop
Country will need high quality durum with a high percentage of hard vitreous kernels, for which Canada is known
The top buyer of Canadian durum is poised to harvest a disappointing crop. Poor rainfall in the winter months has hampered crop development in Morocco, causing “significant and irreparable yield losses” to the country’s cereal crops, according to a United States Department of Agriculture report on the country’s grain and feed crops. “The lack of […] Read moreFarmers know best how to tackle the challenges ahead
Seeding is such a time of joy and hope. It’s also a time of stress and frustration because farmers often find that weather and water prevent them from getting out into fields and getting at it. It can also be a disappointing time because the yearly joy of seeding the crop collides with just-over-the-horizon prices […] Read more
WP livestock report
Hogs The U.S. national live price average for barrows and gilts was US$61 per hundredweight April 26, up from $59.56 April 18. U.S. hogs averaged $79.62 on a carcass basis April 26, up from $77.93 April 18. The U.S. pork cutout was $84.27 per cwt. April 26, down from $87.85 April 18. The estimated U.S. […] 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. Fed prices are up Prices for fed steers and fed heifers rose last week with steers trading […] Read more
Canola futures drop again; wheat rebounds
Winnipeg – ICE Futures canola contracts continued their downward slide of the past week on Wednesday, as speculators remained on the sell side adding to their large short positions. In addition to the bearish chart signals, losses in Chicago Board of Trade soyoil, large old crop supplies, and the ongoing trade tensions between Canada and […] Read more
ICE Canola Weekly: Bearish funds keep market pointed lower
Winnipeg – ICE Futures canola prices fell to their lowest levels since 2014 during the week ended May 1, as bearish technical signals and a lack of progress on trade relations with China weighed on values. While a short-covering correction is possible, the underlying fundamentals also remain bearish. Speculators adding to their large net short […] Read more
Higher freight rates expected in 2019-20
Rail freight rates for moving western Canadian grain to market will be going up in the 2019-20 crop year. In a determination dated April 30, the Canadian Transportation Agency announced that the Volume-Related Composite Price Index (VRCPI) will be increasing at Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway beginning Aug. 1. The VRCPI is used […] Read more
