File photo of an irrigated alfalfa stand in Saudi Arabia. (JohnnyGreig/E+/Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia highly dependent on grain imports

Alfalfa more profitable for domestic growers

MarketsFarm — While Saudi Arabia is a giant among the oil-producing countries of the world, the desert kingdom does produce small amounts of grain. With a population that’s about one million less than Canada’s, Saudi Arabia is extremely dependent on importing its grain from overseas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) attaché in Riyadh explained

(Dave Bedard photo)

Canola short position finally subsiding

CBOT wheat, corn also net short

MarketsFarm — After hitting the largest speculative short position in canola on record, managed money fund traders were finally covering those bearish bets in late March, according to the latest Commitments of Traders report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). As of March 28, the net managed money short position in canola futures


CBOT May 2023 soybeans with 20-day moving average (right column) and NYMEX May 2023 West Texas intermediate crude oil (black line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago soybeans, wheat up on energy boost

Crude oil jumps on surprise OPEC+ output cuts

Mexico City | Reuters — Chicago soybean and wheat futures closed higher on Monday, boosted by a rally in energy markets and concerns over U.S. crop conditions. Corn closed lower, however, as weather forecasts showed slightly drier conditions that would be favourable to planting, analysts said. Oil prices spiked after a surprise announcement by OPEC+

Data drawn from www.macrotrends.net shows peaks in the grain price index, and their corresponding valleys, since 1970.

What goes up…

Barring a sudden market shock, the grain market looks like it is losing steam

Markets are an assembly of moving parts and, in this environment, inflation is a major component. If you can get the inflation versus deflation trade right, it will go a long way toward understanding how all markets could move. The commodity and consumer price inflation of the past few years started in 2020, with COVID-19


(Thinkstock photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Reds higher, durum dips

U.S. wheat futures up on the week

MarketsFarm — Wheat prices on the Canadian Prairies saw modest increases in the red spring varieties during the week ended Thursday, while durum stepped back. Significant gains in the U.S. wheat complex spilled over into Canadian cash prices, but stronger Canadian dollar tempered further increases. Ongoing concerns about dry conditions in the U.S., especially the

CBOT May 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans climb on supportive USDA data

Corn mixed; May wheat unchanged on day

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose 2.1 per cent on Friday, climbing back above US$15 a bushel for the first time since mid-March after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s forecast for 2023 plantings and its March 1 soy stockpiles estimate both came in at the low end of trade expectations. Corn futures ended



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Prices continue to soften as April approaches

Seeding start in Alberta remains a question mark

MarketsFarm — Corn is still moving into feedlots in southern Alberta as it approaches not only the end of its contracts, but also the end of winter. “We’ve been seeing here in Lethbridge prices at $395-$400 per tonne ($10.03-$10.16 per bushel),” said Erin Harakal, trade manager at Agfinity Inc. at Stony Plain, Alta. “It seems


CBOT May 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, MGEX May 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. May 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat down off Wednesday’s one-month high

USDA stocks, prospective plantings reports due out Friday

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures fell on Thursday on profit-taking after one-month highs a day earlier and reminders of strong competition for global export business, analysts said. Nearby corn and soybean futures drifted lower as traders squared positions ahead of key U.S. plantings and stocks reports due on Friday. Chicago Board of Trade