As farmers contemplate a multitude of variables heading into this growing season, crop prices are favourable, indeed. Favourable does not mean stress-free by any means. With commodity prices hovering high for numerous crops, many farmers have yet to pull the trigger on locking in prices with the optimism and hope that those numbers will continue… Read More
Fertilizer pricing and supply have been real challenges for some growers across the country heading into the 2022 growing season. Farm and industry groups have been pushing governments to remove potential barriers, as many farmers are within a month of putting seed in the ground. Whether it has been the pandemic, shipping congestion, production failures,… Read More
A difficult fall, with too much rain, late planting and reduced acres, made for a tough Ontario wheat crop heading into winter. As we move into late March, the crop is looking good and RealAgriculture’s resident wheat guru Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson is enthusiastic about prospects for the crop. On this latest Wheat School episode, Johnson notes… Read More
Update, as of early March 22: CP Rail and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference have agreed to binding arbitration, ending the work stoppage as it extended into its third day. Normal business operations for the railway are supposed to resume on Tuesday, March 22. The ongoing work stoppage at Canadian Pacific Railway is forcing canola… Read More
After a few years’ pause, the Bank of Canada increased the overnight rate March 2, 2022. Analysts suggests it’s the first of at leasts two or more increases for this calendar year alone, to try and cool inflation (that is sitting just below 6 per cent at last report). For lines of credit, variable rate… Read More
As the calendar makes its way through March, Anne Wasko, of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, says we are running short on time for a surprise spring rally. On the demand side, things are looking really good. However, it’s posing a bit of a problem, as it’s not translating to the cash cattle side, do to… Read More
It seems the only certainty in the ag industry is knowing there will always be a level of uncertainty. Knowing this, Agricultural Economic Insights (AEI) have designed a tool to help farmers forecast commodity prices within specific timeframes, share their predictions, and even get a payout if they are the most accurate. David Widmar, with… Read More
Nutrien Ltd. has announced that in response to the uncertainty of potash supply from Eastern Europe, it plans to increase potash product capability to approximately 15 million tonnes in 2022. This is an increase of nearly one million tonnes compared to previous expectations, with the majority of additional volume expected to be produced in the… Read More
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP Rail) has triggered the 72-hour notice required for a lockout of over 3,000 conductors, engineers and other railway employees who are members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC). Unless the union and railway reach a negotiated settlement or agree to binding arbitration in the meantime, the lockout would begin at 00:01… Read More
The 2021 average increase in farmland values isn’t entirely surprising, says J.P. Gervais, chief economist for Farm Credit Canada (FCC), but the magnitude of the increase certainly is. With a weighted average of 8.3 per cent on the year, the significant weather events of the year — the extreme drought for the Prairies and parts of… Read More
In the near term, at least, all bets are off as to just how high fertilizer prices might climb. “We already had situation where last fall, China had stepped out and said ‘no more exports of fertilizer, phosphate and nitrogen.’ That was bad. Now all of a sudden we are talking about removing Russia. That… Read More
The head-spinning volatility in the grain markets that has coincided with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is expected to continue for a while, as the market continues to grapple with what the war means for a supply-demand scenario that was already tight. “We need to remember the table was set coming into this. We were already… Read More
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is out with its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report. Pre-report, many were questioning to what extent the war in Ukraine, which has driven markets higher over the last two weeks, would be accounted for. The USDA has made some adjustments — albeit minor —… Read More
When crop prices are favourable, it can seem that any pricing strategy works. That said, the higher prices are, the more inherent risk there is in leaving crop unpriced. There’s plenty of volatility in the world right now, with no end in sight, and that makes the risk management strategy all the more important. Which… Read More
As the situation continues to unravel in Ukraine, many in the agricultural industry are following the markets, and trying to get a handle on the impacts. This week’s Beef Market Update is no different. Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange says we have often talked about uncertainty and volatility in the last few years… Read More
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