MarketsFarm — Canada’s ongoing diplomatic dispute with China may be slowing canola exports, but the strong pace of the domestic crush is more than making up for any shortfall in international business. The Canadian Grain Commission reported total domestic disappearance of canola during the crop-year-to-date of just over 4.8 million tonnes, as of Sunday (Jan.
Solid crush more than makes up for slow canola exports
Fund short-covering continues in canola, soybeans
MarketsFarm — Fund traders continued to exit short positions in soybeans and canola futures during the first week of 2020, according to the latest commitment of traders (CoT) report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The net managed money short position in ICE Futures canola came in Tuesday at 33,243 contracts, a decrease
Feed weekly outlook: Firm undertone to Prairie grains
MarketsFarm — Solid demand from cattle feeders and ongoing logistic issues across the Prairies should keep a firm undertone in the feed grain market for the time being, according to an Alberta broker. “The feed market has definitely moved higher,” said Brandon Motz of CorNine Commodities at Lacombe, Alta., adding “demand is strong through feedlot
Pulse weekly outlook: Red lentils see some strength
MarketsFarm — The red lentil market in Western Canada is seeing some life to start the New Year, with improved bids creating some marketing opportunities. “Green lentil prices have been steady since the end of 2019, but red lentils are the one that’s jumped,” said Kevin Silzer, vice-president with Rayglen Commodities in Saskatoon, noting red
Firm cattle futures may lift local prices
Possible U.S. trade deals could serve as a boost for market sentiment
Manitoba cattle auctions were quiet over the Christmas and New Year holidays, but firmness in U.S. futures markets could bode well for prices when activity resumes in the first sales of 2020. “I’m looking for a rally in the fats (butcher cattle) into about March,” said Ben DiCostanzo, senior analyst with Walsh Trading in Chicago.
Ocean freight rates trending lower
MarketsFarm — The Baltic Dry Index has fallen sharply over the past four months, dropping below 1,000 points to start the New Year. A slowdown in iron-ore activity, as high prices have had Chinese mills buying up domestic inventories rather than importing from overseas, accounted for much of the general weakness in the freight sector,
Prairie cash wheat: Bids rise over holidays
MarketsFarm — Hard red spring wheat bids in Western Canada posted solid gains during the two-week holiday period ended Thursday, as gains in U.S. futures more than made up for the bearish influence of the rising Canadian dollar. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS, 13.5 per cent protein) wheat prices were up by $5-$9 per
Feed weekly outlook: Steady now but supplies will weigh
MarketsFarm — Recent strength in U.S. wheat futures may be lending some spillover support to Canadian feed grain bids, but large supplies and a lack of aggressive demand kept the market steady heading into the New Year. The rise in wheat futures “has made the farmer a more reluctant seller,” said Allen Pirness of MarketPlace
Palm oil 101: Sought-after crop holds sway over oilseed trade
MarketsFarm — Palm oil may be grown halfway around the world in conditions much different than on the Canadian Prairies, but the outsized influence of the crop on world oilseed markets makes it an important factor to watch when considering canola prices. Indonesia and Malaysia are the world’s largest producers of the crop, with futures
Looking back at the decade that was in grain markets
As the ‘teens come to a close, it’s been 10 years of enormous change
The more things change, the more they stay the same.’ There was no shortage of market moving topics to write about over the past decade, from the demise of the Canadian Wheat Board to the rise of tweet-based international diplomacy, but did anything really change? Grain and oilseed prices had their ups and downs, but