Wheat futures have dropped sharply this week after spiking earlier this month, as the rising U.S. dollar is once again weighing on American commodities. The currency effect is also being noticed in the oilseed complex, as Canadian canola futures have climbed while soybean values in Chicago have fallen over the last few weeks. Get the latest prices on the Commodity Futures… Read More
Grains this we week were mostly pressured by a lower U.S. dollar, as the Canadian Loonie rebounded to a whopping 83 cents, and seeding conditions across most of North America remaining pretty good. U.S. export sales showcased more international buyers canceling old crop wheat contracts and switching things over to buying new crop. Despite that,… Read More
Growth in the U.S. economy and the export opportunities that come with it are expected to offset some of the impact of low oil prices on the Canadian economy. The coinciding weaker Canadian dollar won’t hurt exports either, notes the chief economist with the Conference Board of Canada. “This is a good time if you’re… Read More
Grains ended this week with not a whole bunch for the bears or bulls to love for this Valentine’s Day weekend. All prices ended Friday higher with wheat being the big winner on the day, as the market looked at some easing of geopolitical risk in Europe as positive. While there’s discussions of a ceasefire… Read More
Grain and oilseed markets showed little reaction to the latest stocks estimates from Statistics Canada released on Wednesday. The agency’s December 31st, 2014 stocks numbers were generally in line with trade expectations, with all-wheat pegged at 24.8 million tonnes and canola at 11.1 million (see all the numbers here.) Traders were expecting 25 million tonnes of… Read More
Low oil prices should translate into reduced input prices for farmers, but don’t expect to see major declines in fertilizer prices before the 2015 growing season, according to a lending institution consultant speaking at St. Jean Farm Days in Manitoba this week. “I think in the long run we will see our cost of production… Read More
2014 started out with a lot of frustration: Grain was hardly moving through Canada as the Great White North experienced some record cold temperatures and record ice cover on the Great Lakes. With the railroads making more money moving oil, elevators couldn’t take deliveries and the amount of ships sitting at the port waiting for… Read More
Global markets were blindsided by Russia in the third week of December as Moscow raised its key interest rates to a shocking 17 per cent, up significantly from the 10.5 per cent level they had been just raised to a few days earlier. Why the rate increase? The ruble has been free-falling this year with… Read More
By Larry Martin and Derek Albrecht After months of steady decline, Chicago grain futures recently rallied to meet or exceed USDA forecasts in its November grain report. USDA forecast carryover of soybeans at the end of the 2014/15 crop year at 12.5 per cent of use, with a price forecast at around $10. This compares… Read More
Changes in U.S. monetary policy could be worth paying attention to in the next year. After nearly six years, the Federal Reserve announced this week that it is ending “quantitative easing,” the bond buy-back program implemented to help the U.S. economy through the recession. The end of QE is seen by many as a step toward… Read More
Wheat markets were up about four percent in the post-Canadian Thanksgiving rally as the grain markets all headed higher on quality and harvest progress concerns. That in mind, because of the delayed U.S. harvest, there could still be a lot of grain that doesn’t have a home on the farm and so will be sold… Read More
Grains are seeing more premium priced in this week as the complex continues to deal with cold weather in North America and the political unrest in Eastern Europe. Due to depreciating currencies and affordable financing available, it’s expected that grain and oilseed acres and production in the Black Sea will decline significantly from last year…. Read More
The Canadian dollar has been very comfortable at par for quite some time. So much so, that it well and truly was the new normal. Recently, however, a few factors have converged to pressure the loonie’s value. The question is, is this a blip or a trend, and who wins and who loses in the… Read More
What’s your risk management plan for your cattle business? If you don’t have one or would like to step up your understanding of price risk, managing returns and use of contracts, this free workshop may be for you. Beginning next week, Linus7, Agriculture Financial Services Corporation’s Cattle Price Insurance Program (CPIP) and RealAgriculture.com’s cattle market… Read More
Todd Hirsch, ATB financial senior economist, spoke at the Canfax Cattle Market Forum. The outlook he provided was one of cautious optimism mixed with a little bit of wait and see. The cautious optimism stems from the overall stability of the Canadian economy and the growth in provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan. The wait… Read More