Grain markets were mixed this week as we got the first look at how the USDA is thinking about the 2020/21 crop year in terms of supply and demand, just as demand peeks its head out from underneath the COVID-19 covers. Through the middle of May, soybean and corn prices were helped by more optimism… Read More
In unpacking the United States Department of Agriculture’s perspective on the upcoming marketing year for U.S. stocks, it looks like nothing more than a goal post at the point in the marketing year with demand just as ambiguous. The USDA’s latest WASDE report pegs new crop corn ending stocks at 3.318 billion which was below… Read More
Just how important is the European Union canola (rapeseed) market? According to LeftField Commodity Research, the region had more than doubled its year-over-year canola imports up to mid-March of this year, offsetting nearly half of the Canadian tonnage that would have been sold to China. That’s a significant increase, says Jonathan Driedger with LeftField, driven… Read More
Grain markets were mixed over the first full week of trading as investor jockeyed positions on frost fears, a fast planting pace, and newly-minted trade tensions between the U.S. and China. For the most part though, freezing temperatures were forecasted to hit everything north of central Illinois and that propelled the market into positive territory… Read More
StatsCan has released its delayed 2020 acreage prediction for field crops in Canada. The report was to be released two weeks ago and has a limited survey response compared to more normal circumstances, due to COVID-19. StatsCan stated, “At this time, intended seeded area estimates cannot reflect the full impact on the crop sector as… Read More
As seeding begins in Western Canada, where are we at with canola acres, pulse prices, and the feed wheat outlook? In this week’s LIVE! Q&A, Brennan Turner, founder of Farmlead and the Combyne marketplace, joins Shaun Haney to discuss markets, take questions, and compare (a lack of) haircuts. From acres moving out of canola, to… Read More
Grain markets started the month of May on a downer as the combination of good weather and renewed trade fears between the U.S. and China stoked increased pessimism in the complex. Despite the latter sentiment, China did buy a lot of U.S. soybeans this week, which helped the oilseed close in the green; this helped… Read More
Grain markets had a topsy-turvy week before closing in the red as traders exited positions amidst growing concern of demand for agricultural commodities. The combined uncertainty about demand fundamentals for food – namely from the food services and hospitality industry -as well as oil markets pushed grain prices lower this week. While China and Mexico… Read More
This week’s second Q & A LIVE segment features Leftfield Commodity Research analyst Jon Driedger and Shaun Haney discussing all things grain markets. Listen/watch for a full discussion on corn market dynamics, livestock ration swap-out options, why oats may face major over-supply, and the good news story that is pulses. Tune in Tuesday, April 28th,… Read More
There are always psychological lows and highs in markets. For corn, prices in the three-dollar range happen, but an analyst with some experience will tell you to watch for $3.01. That’s because if we dip below $3.01, there’s no telling where it goes next. As Marlin Bohling, markets editor with RFD-TV explains, that $3.01 mark… Read More
Despite a positive performance on Friday, grain markets ended the past week in the red as traders booked profits and farmers made sales, amidst different supply and demand signals. Buzz around how economies are going to start up is shaking up this panic-buying demand that have hung over markets. Also complicating things this past week… Read More
We’ve focused a lot lately on what is going on in the protein sector, which hasn’t have a lot of positives as of late. But on the crop side of the fence — oilseeds, coarse grains, pulses — overall, the markets for many crops grown in Western Canada have not been hit as hard by… Read More
Grain markets ended the Easter-shortened trading week with some heavy data and policy dumps, notably from the USDA and OPEC. On Thursday, April 9th, we got the USDA’s monthly WASDE report, although these estimates were largely discounted even going into the report given the ongoing COVID-19 related demand fluctuations. For the most part though, grain… Read More
Grain markets closed mostly lower to start April off, as the highs seen last week gave way to some profit-taking and farmer selling. We saw said selling firsthand on the Combyne cash grain marketplace as buyers were able to take advantage of the weaker Canadian Loonie and shore up some coverage before fertilizer deliveries make… Read More
The reduction in gasoline usage across North America has put a death grip on ethanol producers. Plants have been scaling back production to try and stay solvent as storage capacity fills. Aside from the impact less ethanol production has on corn and utility wheat demand, livestock producers that use distillers’ dried grains (DDGs) in feed… Read More