Food prices in Canadian stores have declined for nine consecutive months, dating back to last September, as measured by Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index. While the rate of depreciation has slowed since January, Kevin Grier, market analyst and author of the Grocery Trade Review, explains there are two main factors putting downward pressure on the… Read more »
Tag: Kevin Grier
Increased grocery store competition leads to food deflation in March
If you asked consumers about whether grocery bills are going up or down, they would likely say up. According to market analyst Kevin Grier and Statistics Canada, the data suggests otherwise. Food deflation continued again in March, with declines across the store in staples, meat, and consumer packaged goods. According to Statistics Canada, the Consumer Price… Read more »
Canada is the Largest Importer Of U.S. Processed Food, Doubling Second-Place Mexico
Trade between the NAFTA nations has become mainstream news on a daily basis. Trade relations between Canada and the United States seems to be getting cooler as the battle over lumber, energy, and dairy heats up. The Canadian and American agriculture economies are very linked and, as highlighted by Kevin Grier in his March edition of… Read more »
Livestock Trade Unlikely to be Targeted in NAFTA Talks — Kevin Grier
Everybody’s waiting to see what President Trump plans to do with NAFTA, but it’s unlikely it will be detrimental to the movement of cattle and pigs across the Canada-U.S. border, says Guelph-based livestock and meat market analyst Kevin Grier. While Trump’s “Buy American” policy and willingness to flat-out talk about being protectionist are concerning, Grier says he… Read more »
Retail Beef Prices Trend Ever So Slightly Lower: Kevin Grier
Live cattle cash prices have been in the 2016-version of free fall, and many producers have been challenged trying to understand why prices at the grocery stores have not followed suit. As demand concerns rise, speculation is that beef prices in Canada must eventually fall to increase sales at the meat counter. In this week’s… Read more »
How Will the Market Respond to the End of COOL?
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack declared on Friday afternoon that “effective immediately” the U.S. Department of Agriculture would not be enforcing country of origin labeling rules for beef and pork. It’s been over seven years since American packers were forced to segregate Canadian animals and meat. How quickly can they go back to operating how they… Read more »
Pork Sector Celebrating TPP Access Into Japan
Canada’s pork sector is welcoming the conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, specifically the market access the trade deal would provide into Japan. “While we look forward to seeing additional details in texts that become available in coming days, based on what was announced, the CPC strongly supports Canada participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership,” said Canadian… Read more »
TPP Participation is Critical for Maintaining Canadian Pork Exports
The Canadian Pork Council has published a study outlining not only what Canadian hog producers stand to gain from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but more significantly, what the Canadian hog sector would lose if Canada isn’t part of the multi-lateral trade deal. While the TPP negotiations currently include 12 countries, for Canadian hog producers, the deal… Read more »
Pig Prices Have Plummeted — Why is Bacon Still Expensive?
Remember last year, when hog prices spiked and concerns about high bacon prices hit headlines in the mainstream news? For pig producers and processors, those days are distant history, as the North American pork market has since undergone a major reversal. Not wanting to expose consumers to volatility, grocery stores generally lag behind the hog market in moving prices higher (and… Read more »
Is It Time to Invest in Pigs Again?
With record prices and strong profits over the last year, are we on the verge of seeing renewed excitement about pig production in Canada? The previous decade was filled with challenges, but with pork prices where they’ve been over the last year, there should be some incentive to build new barns, or at least fill… Read more »
Examining The Canadian Hog Market with Kevin Grier, George Morris Center
The Canadian hog market is definitely an example of an up and down cycle of financial losses, frustration, PED and financial wins. Some would say its comparable to a roller coaster full of pain and exuberance. I spoke with Kevin Grier, George Morris Center to discuss what is happening in the Canadian hog market and… Read more »
Kevin Grier – Will the Consumer Support Such High Retail Beef Prices in 2014?
Shaun Haney talks to Kevin Grier from the George Morris Center about the demand challenges for retail beef in 2014. Kevin has been doing some interesting research on how much beef is featured in grocery store fliers and he is not liking the trend. One of the big indications for beef demand is always the… Read more »
Cattle Packers Get Caught and Force a Once in a Lifetime Market Run Higher in Early 2014
Anyone that has ever fed cattle has targeted a hole in the market to get a better price at some point. Sometimes the hole develops as predicted and sometimes the market adjusts and the hole is no more than a dent. In the first four weeks of January, cattle packers in the US found themselves… Read more »
Is the Tyson Pasco Plant Viable with New MCOOL Rules – Kevin Grier
The battle of the new MCOOL rules continue to raise concerns on both sides of the border. Groups like NCBA, AMI, CCA and more are battling the US Government in its quest to make MCOOL a long term reality. Obviously with the US government shut down the last two weeks, nothing is happening. MCOOL seems… Read more »
Kevin Grier – An Update and Analysis of the Zilmax Saga Involving Tyson and Merck
With the recent decision by Tyson to ban Zilmax use by the use of its supplying feedyards and then Merck deciding to suspend the sale of Zilmax until a further evaluation is completed, many people in the cattle industry are surprised and wondering what will happen next. This week I talked to Kevin Grier, George… Read more »