CBOT weekly outlook: U.S./China deal awaited

MarketsFarm -- The Chicago Board of Trade is carefully watching the prolonged trade drama between the U.S. and China and waiting to see if the two countries will reach an agreement in days to come. "Headlines are leading trade," remarked Steve Georgy, president of Allendale Inc. at McHenry, Il. "Markets are revolving around China talk,[...]

CBOT weekly outlook: Markets at mercy of weather

MarketsFarm -- Traders are bracing for more inclement weather to hit the U.S. Midwest, which in turn could rock commodities. Springtime floods and adverse weather have impacted the majority of the U.S. Plains and Midwest, and those regions expect another snow system before the end of March. Flooding may delay planting dates, causing farmers to[...]


CBOT weekly outlook: Trade volatile ahead of USDA announcement

MarketsFarm -- The Chicago Board of Trade saw "a wild ride of volatility" on Wednesday, following rumours of a U.S. Department of Agriculture farm aid package that could top US$15 billion. The package would include payments of about $2 per bushel for soybeans and four cents per bushel for corn, according to Bloomberg. An official[...]

Pulse weekly outlook: Saskatchewan crops rally after rough spring

Winnipeg | MarketsFarm – Pulse crops across the prairies have largely bounced back after rough growing conditions in the spring and early summer, but they’re not out of the woods just yet. “It’s been an abnormal year,” remarked Carl Potts, executive director of Saskatchewan Pulse. Potts explained that in Saskatchewan, widespread dryness early in the[...]


Cold spring weather expected for Prairies

MarketsFarm -- Temperatures in the Prairie provinces are expected to be colder than average this spring. "There's no indication that temperatures will be above normal," said Bruce Burnett, director of markets and weather for MarketsFarm in Winnipeg. Low temperatures will likely cause issues for seeding in areas of the Prairies that have received late-spring snowstorms.[...]

CBOT weekly outlook: Markets brace for weather, trade war

MarketsFarm -- With the U.S. Department of Agriculture's world agriculture supply and demand estimates (WASDE) report in the rearview mirror, the Chicago Board of Trade is trading largely on weather forecasts and flood reports. Markets did react, however, when the WASDE report dropped on Tuesday. "We did see some short covering in the market yesterday[...]


CBOT weekly outlook: Time running out for trade talks

MarketsFarm -- As trade talks between the U.S. and China continue, many are watching headlines closely for hints of what's to come. The crop commodity market "has been in a downslide for a long time which is mainly due to U.S. and China trade uncertainties," said Scott Capinegro of Barrington Commodity Brokers. "It always sounds[...]

Mexico wants Canadian oats

MarketsFarm -- Mexico's largest oat manufacturer is calling for Canadian oat producers to explore new varieties and increase acreage in order to keep up with global demand. Jorge Sanchez, chief financial officer of Mexico's Corporativo Grupo Vida Internacional, said Canada's oat crops need to "adapt to changing growing conditions" in order to meet world demand,[...]


Prairie cash wheat: Bids mostly lower

MarketsFarm -- Wheat bids in Western Canada were mostly lower for the week ended Friday. Losses were observed in Canada Western Red Spring Wheat (CWRS) and Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR), with durum (CWAD) slightly higher. Average CWRS (13.5 per cent protein) wheat prices were down by about 50 cents to $1 per tonne, according[...]

Machinery costs driving up fixed farming expenses

MarketsFarm -- Fixed costs on farms continue to rise year-over-year, a statistic largely attributed to increasing land values and interest rates. At the beginning of 2019, Farm Credit Canada (FCC) reported farmland values across Canada increased by an average of 6.6 per cent during the previous year. But that’s not the main driver of fixed[...]