By Michael von Massow The Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) recently launched an advertising campaign to lobby for federal support for grains and oilseeds producers. There has been considerable discussion in social media and other fora regarding financial support for the Canadian agricultural sector. Many groups were disappointed with the size of the federal government… Read More
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
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
Progress throughout history has never been linear and, often, a jarring event is needed to force us into facing uncomfortable truths about our own failures. That is not an indictment, but more an acceptance of the reality that progress requires understanding where we’ve fallen flat and then seeking to improve. There was much gnashing of… Read More
We are a long way from getting through the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as provinces and states begin to relax restrictions, we know that a return to “normal” is possibly months away, and that’s not even accounting for the unknown of whether or not this re-opening of the economy will lead to a second wave of… Read More
I was scanning through the news last week, and there was a really good transcription of the exchanges during the house agricultural committee with the Minster of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie Claude Bibeau. Some things really stood out to me from the transcript that showcase a problem as it sits today. What I’ve noticed is… 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
I’ve been thinking a lot lately, as I’m sure you all have been. We’re in a quarantine that doesn’t have a definite end. And if you’re an over-thinker like me, join the club — you’re not alone. There’s a lot of great advice out there. You could dig for eons on Google reading articles about… 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
As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, people are trying to compare this situation to what’s happened in the past. From a health perspective, there are parallels to the 1918 Spanish Flu; but from an economic standpoint, many are bringing up the early eighties and even the Great Depression of the ’30s. My grandfathers lived through… Read More
U.S. President Donald Trump has unveiled his three-step plan to re-open the economy, entitled “Opening up America Again.” Along with the announcement, the president has started encouraging political allies to “liberate” certain states that have shelter-in-place (social distancing) measures currently in effect. There’s no question, the economic impact of social distancing is very evident in… 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
The COVID-19 outbreak has the animal protein sector in flux at all levels of the value chain, and everyone is attempting to find reasonable measures to balance their own interests with others’. Producers want packers to stay open so they have a place to ship animals, and to avoid the problematic scenarios that could unfold… Read More
When the Harmony Beef plant closed for three days in late March, it was a warning of bigger problems ahead. After a couple weeks of beef slaughter plant slow-downs or closures in North America — including in Alberta, at Cargill in High River and JBS at Brooks — producers are very concerned on how the… 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
Register for a RealAgriculture account to manage your Shortcut menu instead of the default.