Corn imports into Western Canada from the U.S. have risen dramatically following the 2021 drought, but cattle feeders in Alberta say unpredictable shipments are not keeping up with demand. In some cases, feedlots say they are scraping together the last of their feed supplies, and are banking on delayed trains still arriving in time to… Read More
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says domestic corn supplies might be slightly larger than what the trade thought, but there were no major surprises in the January World Agricultural Supply/Demand Estimates (WASDE) published on Wednesday. Corn ending stocks rose by 47 million bushels from the USDA’s December report to 1.54 million bushels, near the top… Read More
Plans have been unveiled for another soybean crush plant in the Northern Plains. CGB Enterprises and Minnesota Soybean Processors say they have formed a joint venture to build a soybean processing plant near Casselton, North Dakota — 15 miles west of Fargo and approximately 150 miles south of the Canada-U.S. border crossing at Emerson, Man…. Read More
When it comes to talking about markets, we focus on the uncertainties; things we don’t know. However, sometimes we need to focus on what we do know. Peter Rohde, of IHS Markit, says what we do know right now is that we need to stay focused on the U.S. balance sheet, as it continues to… Read More
Not that this anecdote means anything to the markets, but Canadian farmers grew more corn than canola in 2021, thanks to record corn yields in Ontario and severe drought on the Prairies. Canola production for 2021 was pegged at 12.6 million tonnes, with corn coming in at 14.0 million tonnes, in Statistics Canada’s final crop… Read More
The November World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report from the USDA was released Tuesday, and the market responded by moving higher across most of the board. Big sigh of relief for markets as #soybean yield falls to 51.2 bushels per acre and #corn “only” goes up to 177.0 bpa. #Corn up 10, #soybeans… Read More
There are many input decisions to be made at any given time on the farm. Some of those decisions have to be made in-crop, such as for crop protection, while others happen well-ahead of the growing season, like those on fertilizer and seed. Based on supply chain issues, major price increases, and potential product shortages,… Read More
The drought many producers faced this past growing season is continuing to wreak havoc in many different directions. But, what happened with crops that are better suited for hot and dry conditions? Durum wheat is one of those crops. Canadian production of durum wheat lies solely in the southern parts of the prairies and is… Read More
U.S. soybean yields and ending stocks will be larger than the trade was expecting, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s October supply/demand report. Based on the reaction in the futures market, the USDA’s October numbers, released Tuesday, were bearish for soybeans, somewhat bearish for corn, and bullish for wheat. The average American soybean yield… Read More
What are the risks for the 2022 crop? Weather, of course, is always a factor, but what about the markets? What if we can compared the risks of the market declining, to the possibility of input prices further rising? Margins could be a heck of a lot tighter next year, unless commodity prices make moves… Read More
Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway’s plan to acquire Kansas City Southern (KCS) is one major step closer to becoming a done deal. The companies signed a merger agreement on Wednesday after rival Canadian National (CN) Railway waived its right to a five-day period to negotiate new terms with the coveted Kansas City-based railroad. The US$27.2 billion… Read More
Surprises were few and far between in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s September World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report on Friday. The major figures were largely in line with pre-report estimates. On the yield side of things, U.S. corn and soybeans came in just slightly above trade estimates. Corn was estimated at… Read More
The Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA) is responding to a request by Saskatchewan farm groups to intervene on producers’ behalf regarding contract fees and penalties incurred during the 2021 marketing year. The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS), SaskBarley, SaskCanola, SaskFlax, SaskOats, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, and SaskWheat released a joint statement this week, calling on… Read More
When we think about how farmers market their crop, there are two significant events that have occurred in 2021 that may drive people to think a little different going forward. One of those is the market run-up last fall, when prices really began to escalate.The second factor is farmers in the western half of North… Read More
Many crops grown in Canada are traded on an active futures market: corn, soybeans, canola, and wheat being the most common. But plenty of other crops don’t trade on futures, instead relying on cash prices, actual deliveries, and contracts for price discovery and risk management. Jon Driedger of LeftField Commodity Research says that when market… Read More