Grain Farmers of Ontario is asking the government to improve the programs put in place to help farmers if their businesses are in a loss position because of the pandemic. GFO is asking the government to fully fund the Risk Management program in Ontario, to restore the AgriStability program to 85 per cent (vs 75… Read More
It’s the last Friday of July, and the summer is just continuing to roar along. If you’re in Western Canada, you know it’s hot hot hot. Currently in the beef markets, there is a lot of discussion surrounding where we are at for demand for proteins. We’ve got some economic headwinds, and we’ve got issues… Read More
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its cattle on feed report for July 1st, and it fell closely in line with expectations, limiting any attempt at the market to be shocked. August Live cattle finished the day up at $0.475, and the week down $1.95, to close at $101.325. #Cattle on Feed Report:… Read More
CN Rail has announced plans to acquire 1,500 new generation, high-capacity grain hopper cars with delivery starting in January of 2021. These new railcars will encourage economic recovery through job creation in the North American manufacturing sector, as well as help CN continue to meet the growing needs of grain farmers and grain customers, the… Read More
AGCO, which carries brands such as Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Gleaner, and Challenger, has released initial data readings showing how tractor and planter tires compact soil. As we are becoming more and more aware, soil compacted at planting can reduce yields by restricting root growth and reducing nutrient and water availability, making the topic an increasing… Read More
There were few surprises in the latest United States Department of Agriculture’s WASDE report, with yields of principal crops left unchanged from previous reports. The USDA reported new crop corn ending stocks at 2.648 billion, mostly inline with trade expectations. According to Matthew Pot with Grain Perspectives, even China buying more corn on the heels… Read More
Canada and the U.S. share a border, have integrated trade systems, and similar crop mixes. The similarities don’t end there, either. Both Canada and the U.S. are dealing with trade disruption across several commodities, and are suffering from COVID-19 related shutdowns. There are differences, too, of course, and in this RealAg LIVE! Shaun Haney is… Read More
It’s no secret that COVID-19 has had an impact on the cost of raw materials and energy prices. Due to the plummeting cost of raw materials, growing production capacity, and mediocre demand, there have been pressures on the global price indicators of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash to fall either to or near ten-year lows. According… Read More
Did anyone win in the final version of the New NAFTA? Is trade diversification for Canada just a pipe dream? How come we rarely talk about trade with Mexico? In this edition of RealAg LIVE! with Carlo Dade, director of the trade & investment centre of the Canada West Foundation, host Shaun Haney gets in… Read More
Looking back even just six weeks ago, few would have thought it would be possible to be back at the cattle processing levels that we currently are in Canada and the U.S. Anne Wasko, of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, says that many changes have occurred over the past few weeks during the face of COVID-19…. Read More
When it comes to farm profitability and land base, bigger isn’t better; better is better. That’s one of the findings of a recent study led by Dr. Gregg Ibendahl, associate professor with Kansas State University. The study looked at 10 years of data for a range of farm sizes, from about 500 acres to several… Read More
Update, as of 6pm June 8: The EPA issued an order late Monday that prohibits the sale and distribution of the three dicamba herbicides. Farmers and applicators may use existing stocks that were in their possession on June 3 until July 31, 2020. We are seeking clarification on what this means where state governments have… Read More
As RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney puts it: the interesting, fascinating beef market continues. Currently, there’s huge separation between the June live cattle futures and the cash price, with many taking bets on how that gap closes. Bulls believe there is pent-up demand while bears see a weak economy and restricted demand for the most expensive cuts,… Read More
A federal grand jury in a U.S. District Court in Colorado has indicted four current and former senior executives from two major American chicken companies for their role in conspiring to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chickens. “Executives who cheat American consumers, restauranteurs, and grocers, and compromise that integrity of our food supply,… Read More
Canada and the U.S. have experienced very similar paths of food system disruption due to COVID-19. Both countries have seen the fall in restaurant demand and packers going offline, followed by milk dumping, animals being euthanized, and consumers hyperventilating over shortages of toilet paper and ground beef. Although they’ve experienced the same impacts and stress… Read More