CME live cattle futures up 9th straight session

CHICAGO, April 19 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rose on Wednesday for the ninth consecutive session, and hit a one-year high for a second day in a row, after cash prices exceeded expectations, traders said. April live cattle  closed 1.150 cents per pound higher at 127.925 cents, and June  up 0.300 cent […] Read more

VIDEO: Canada’s agricultural markets update – April 19, 2017

VIDEO: Canada’s agricultural markets update – April 19, 2017

D’Arce McMillan, The Western Producer markets editor, monitors trends in the North American and global agricultural markets. Each week he hosts a market video about crops. The video is designed to help viewers understand the forces responsible for changes in the trade. If agricultural markets are important to you, we have you covered.

Strong beef demand lifts CME live cattle to 1-year high

CHICAGO, April 18 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle on Tuesday spiked to their highest since mid-April 2016, driven by improved wholesale beef demand that may underpin cash prices this week, said traders. They said profit-taking pulled back-month futures down from new contract highs achieved earlier in the session. April live cattle closed 0.350 […] Read more


Weather risk expected to keep malt barley seeding low

Winnipeg, April 18 – Concerns about weather dictating the quality of malt barley is keeping producers from seeding the crop this year, one industry participant says, while weak prices offer no extra incentive. “Acres are definitely going to be down, because of the fear of getting feed barley, which is horrendously low priced,” said Rod […] Read more

CME live cattle climb 7th straight session to new highs

CHICAGO, April 17 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle rose on Monday for the seventh consecutive session, boosted by improved wholesale beef demand and futures’ discounts to recent cash prices, traders said. They said speculative buying and buy stops drove deferred contracts to fresh highs. April live cattle closed 1.050 cents per pound higher […] Read more


Record canola acres possible in StatsCan seeding report

Winnipeg, April 17 (CNS Canada) – Canadian farmers might be set to seed record large canola acres in 2017, while wheat area is generally expected to be down when Statistics Canada releases its first survey-based acreage estimates of the year on Friday, April 21. From an economic standpoint, “canola is historically the commodity that pays […] Read more


To keep cash canola bids attractive even as futures fall, crushers and exporters had to improve the basis.  |  File photo

Basis premiums in the offing?

Marketing advisers expect grain companies and crushers to begin offering more specials and offers to attract canola as the crop year runs down. Buyers need to do something if they want new product. There is little left in farmers’ bins and futures prices have fallen well be-low $500 a tonne. “I do think they are […] Read more


Statistics Canada pegs carryout from 2015-16 at 5,000 tonnes, while a Can Pulse Foods official estimates a 75,000 tonne carryover.  |  File photo

Huge canaryseed carryover creates ‘wishy washy’ outlook

The canaryseed market outlook can be summed up in one word — blah. Exports have been lacklustre, supply is much bigger than the official numbers suggest and the price outlook is dismal, say analysts. David Nobbs, managing partner of CanPulse Foods, doesn’t see prices improving from today’s values of 20 cents per pound delivered and […] Read more

Economists with the major Canadian banks expect the Canadian dollar will be in the low to mid US70 cents range, but others think it could fall to the low 60 cents. One grain analyst thinks the loonie could rally as the expected multiple U.S. interest rate increases fail to materialize.  |  Reuters photo

Analysts see continuing weakness ahead for loonie

Some currency experts believe the loonie will drop significantly this year, helping buffer Canadian farmers against lacklustre commodity prices. Ken Courtis, chair of Starfort Investment Holdings and a member of federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth, said U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic stimulus program will strengthen the U.S. dollar and drive […] Read more