Grain prices ended one of the most hyped-up weeks in recent memory very mixed as the Phase One trade deal between the U.S. and China was signed. Put simply, the trade deal signed between China and the U.S. on Wednesday should’ve been a positive for grain and commodity prices in general, but the complex has… Read More
Grain markets ended the first full week of trading in 2020 mostly higher as the complex ignored some of the bearish data that the USDA presented in their monthly data dump, and instead, focused on the trade war deal expected to be signed by China and the U.S. next week. The main reason grain markets… Read More
The final numbers are starting to roll in for 2019 beef markets, and it appears that Canada is well-positioned for another good year. In this episode of the Beef Market Update, RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney and Gateway Livestock’s Anne Wasko take a walk through 2019, considering the impacts of African swine fever, and where Canadian beef… Read More
Despite a bit of a sell-off on Friday, January 3rd, grain markets are starting 2020 strong, as trade deals buzz and strong export activity are fueling higher prices in a shortened trading week. Also weighing on the markets is the boatload of data that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is going to release… Read More
The USDA released its latest cattle on feed report for December 1, 2019. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totalled 12 million head, that’s up 2% year-over-year. Placements in feedlots during November totalled 2.09 million head, 5 per cent… Read More
Like most years in the cattle business, 2019 brought highs and lows that will be remembered and some points we’d rather forget. From high packer margins, to uncertain feed costs, to strong demand, this year brought many challenges and opportunities for ranchers and feeders. It’s time though to put 2019 behind us and look ahead… Read More
Grain markets finished the week before Christmas mostly all in the green as follow-on technical buying and physical buying pushed the complex higher. Meanwhile there is still some uncertainty about how the trade deals are going to be executed, namely the $50 billion in agriculture purchases that President Trump has said China would buy. This… Read More
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published its final World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report of the year, and according to some analysts, it was rather void of surprise or even change. “That was the problem — we didn’t see anything, nothing changed,” says FarmLead CEO Brennan Turner, in the following interview… Read More
Besides the weather, the issue of falling number discounts is a major frustration this fall for farmers in Western Canada. As farmers started to deliver grain to the elevator this fall, some were finding out that their delivery contracts included discounts based on falling number. Many farmers are asking whether this is legal under the… Read More
Grain markets ended the second week of December all in the green as news of the U.S. and China finally agreeing to terms of a phase one deal to stall the ongoing trade war. Also supporting prices was the market tracking higher soybean and corn prices in South America, as well as digesting limited changes… Read More
As the year winds down, the U.S. cattle market is showing strength, even with a seasonal pull back in prices, and a return to full processing capacity. Canada has been enjoying record exports to Japan, with continued demand for high quality, high grading product. But as we look ahead to the new year, it’s the… Read More
Black swan events have transformed agriculture. From the invention of canola to precision agriculture and the emergence of the African Swine Fever (ASF), these extreme and unpredictable events — both good and bad — continue to shape the industry’s future. Is Canadian agriculture and the agri-food system resilient enough to absorb the potential negative impacts… Read More
Grain markets ended the first trading week of December mostly lower, though oilseeds found some gains on soybean exports and production headlines. We’re going to get the USDA’s December WASDE report Tuesday, but StatsCan and ABARES released updated production estimates for the Great White North and the Land Down Undaa, respectively. Soybeans found some gains… Read More
While pulse market challenges haven’t been grabbing headlines as much lately, there are longer standing issues with chickpea, pea, and lentil movement than say, canola’s recent run-in with China. Murad Al-Katib, CEO of AGT Foods, says that there are reasons to be optimistic on pulse markets heading in to 2020, even in the face of… Read More
Grain markets ended the month of November strongly as a shortened trading day on Friday, November 29th (due to the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday) saw significant technical selling, which pushed prices up. Corn gained eight cents while Chicago SRW wheat futures jumped 15 cents on Friday alone — helping the complex end the month on an… Read More