CNS Canada –– The dry bias to this year’s spring, along with recent warm temperatures, leads one Manitoba agronomist to conclude corn will soon be going into the ground. “By the last week in April… unless some weather shift happens,” said Morgan Cott, agronomist for the Manitoba Corn Growers Association. Excess moisture shortened last year’s
Man. corn planting seen starting last week of April
Pork prices near bottom but should climb soon, analyst says
CNS Canada — Over a year after porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) tore into North America’s hog supply, hog production is on the upswing — but the same can’t be said for prices. “I would say prices are likely nearing the bottom. We should start to rebound here once barbecue season sets in,” said Brad Marceniuk,
Pea growers weigh demand opportunities against root rot
CNS Canada — Pea acreage in Western Canada could rise by five to 10 per cent this year, according to one industry expert, who notes root rot threatens to curtail that projection. Demand from India, China and Bangladesh is strong and that means total pea area could hit four million acres, said Carl Potts, executive
CBOT weekly: Corn, soy look to test post-report floors, ceilings
CNS Canada — Chicago Board of Trade corn and soybean futures saw choppy activity over the past week as traders had spent much of the period positioning themselves ahead of the release of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s prospective plantings report. That choppiness is expected to continue as the market digests the report’s data and
Diesel prices expected to see pressure in second quarter
CNS Canada — The spring thaw may bring lower diesel prices to farmers in North America, according to a New Jersey-based oil expert. “A lot of new refining, worldwide, is coming on for diesel,” said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service. Compared to other fuels such as gasoline or jet
Feed barley bids rangebound in Western Canada
CNS Canada –– Prairie feed barley prices continue to hang tough in March, locked into a range established early this year. “We’re seeing a lot of bids in and around $205” per tonne, said Allen Pirness, a trader for Market Place Commodities at Lethbridge. Bids had been hitting around $210 per tonne, for example, on
Ammonium sulphate seen tougher to find, afford
CNS Canada — A shortfall in production seems to have made granular ammonium sulphate, the prime fertilizer used by canola growers in Western Canada, relatively scarce just weeks away from seeding. “Last year (it was) $470 a tonne, now it’s $525 a tonne; if you can get it. Those were the words from my supplier,”
CBOT weekly: Bullish U.S. dollar seen pinning grain futures
CNS Canada — Chicago Board of Trade corn and soybean futures remained largely unchanged over the past week but a bullish U.S. dollar, currently outperforming many of the world’s other currencies, will keep the long-term bias pointed lower, according to a U.S. analyst. “We’re going to need a weather event, we’re going to need a
Red varieties driving lentil acreage increase
CNS Canada — As Canada’s remaining old-crop lentils shuffle off to buyers overseas, interest is building in the potential for new crop in 2015. Chuck Penner of LeftField Commodity Research in Winnipeg said he expects more acres will be planted this spring as a result of the strong interest. “Oh, there’ll definitely be more; the
Mild Prairie temperatures not expected to last
CNS Canada — Despite recent mild temperatures that are forecast to hang around the Canadian Prairies for the next week, a weather expert says a colder bias will return during the latter stages of the month. “It will take a while for it to come back, but it will come back,” said Drew Lerner of