A cool start delayed corn planting in the U.S., so much so that there’s a rumoured 78 million acres of soybeans in the ground down south. A late start means the critical pollination period of the crop — a huge factor in determining yield — into the typically hot weeks of late July. While the… Read More
Category: Markets
Farmers and analysts alike will be watching Friday’s USDA report for several reasons, and one of them will be the soybean acreage number. Poor planting weather in many corn-heavy U.S. states has many thinking the shift out of corn and into soybeans puts the total acres somewhere north of 77 million acres. If it’s below… Read More
Pricing new crop is rarely a low-risk venture — the crop is a long way from made and there’s a mountain of weather information, seeded acreage reports and variable demand to distill down into an opinion on price direction. It’s exactly that type of distilling that Moe Agostino, with Farms.com Risk Management, does on a… Read More
Hot on the heels of Alberta rolling out its own wheat commission, farmers and politicians alike were on hand at Canada’s Farm Progress Show to announce the launch of the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission and the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission. RealAgriculture.com’s editor, Lyndsey Smith, sat down with Gerrid Gust, who farms at Davidson, Sask., and… Read More
The crop is in and growing, the sprayer is running and farmers are keeping an eye on fungicide timing. Which probably means, of course, that it’s time to think about what to sell off the combine. Those who are disciplined have likely already priced some crop, but many are just now getting comfortable with committing… Read More
The Canola Council of Canada recently announced the findings from an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada-funded Chinese study that suggests dairy cattle fed canola meal significantly increased their total milk production. The study shows that when used in dry rations, meal from Canadian canola can increase daily milk production by .6 kilograms per cow, according to… Read More
Grain Farmers of Ontario has refreshed the Ontario Wheat Pool brand in an effort to introduce new and young farmers to this marketing tool for the 2013-14 crop year. The re-branding includes a new logo and a new online Wheat Marketing Tool for those unfamiliar with the wheat pool. The tool is intended to help… Read More
Feedyards have moved from having to wait for cattle to be lifted for weeks on end to a situation where the market is very current. This has put a little needed marketing power in the hands of feedyards instead of the packer. The strong basis has beena n excellent incentive to sell cattle on schedule… 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
Corn and feedgrain stocks were the only crop types that held or increased volume as of December, 2012. That’s according to Statistics Canada’s ending stocks report released today. Canola stocks were down over 20% over 2011 ending stocks, barley stocks continued to push downwards, even in the face of higher production in 2012, and oats… Read More
Statistics Canada released its first seeding intentions report for March 31, 2013 this morning. Corn, wheat and oats were given the biggest nod to acreage bumps, however, this survey was conducted to April 3 when farmers still expected spring to arrive before May. Corn acres are estimated at 2.3 million for Ontario, an increase of… Read More
It’s been a rough year for many farmers in the U.S., as drought stole yields, entire crops and whole pastures. A return to more normal precipitation patterns over the winter helped in many areas, however, this spring’s cold and, yes, even snowy April weather has put the brakes on the spring corn planting season and… Read More
Developing an opinion on crop prices and the direction they’re headed is not an exact science. Once you can move beyond expecting to be right all the time, it’s time to start putting some fundamental analysis to work for you. While many farmers are familiar with that term and supply and demand discussions, understanding how… Read More
It was great news this week that, following negotiations between Canada and China, canola producers and exporters here will have a shot at expanded access to the Chinese market. But to me, it was even more noteworthy that science, not politics, helped open the door. Science is constantly maligned in agriculture, particularly when product safety… Read More
China’s decision to open another of its crushers to Canadian canola seed improves market access, according to the Canola Council of Canada. The authorization of three new crushers in the last few months means China now has the capacity to import an additional 1 million tonnes of canola seed from Canada, Canola Council of Canada… Read More