Grain Markets & Farming Articles - Manitoba Co-operator

CWB continues to shrink

By Allan Dawson May 17, 2012

The Canadian Wheat Board will be down to one-quarter of its previous staff by the time it loses its monopoly Aug. 1, a downsizing critics call disappointing, but predictable. But some are also questioning whether the board’s top five executives should continue to receive salaries and benefits totalling $2.3 million annually, including $807,000 in pay

Cereals, Crops, Grain Markets, News

Wheat buyers fret as Canadian grain monopoly ends

By Rod Nickel May 17, 2012

Reuters / Global wheat importers fear the quality of Canada’s prized spring wheat and durum may deteriorate once the Canadian Wheat Board loses its marketing monopoly, creating problems for makers of breads and pasta. A broad swath of wheat buyers, including Japan, known as the most quality-conscious wheat importer, has raised concerns that the consistent,

Cereals, Grain Markets, Livestock, Oilseeds

Canola contracts weaken on Chicago soybean sell-off

By Dwayne Klassen May 17, 2012

Canola contracts on the ICE Futures Canada platform experienced some significant losses during the week ended May 11. The sharp sell-off in the CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) soybean complex helped to encourage the downward price slide, as did renewed macroeconomic issues, which triggered some aggressive liquidation of long positions by speculative fund accounts. The

Cereals, Crops, Grain Markets, News, Oilseeds

New-crop U.S. corn slips on expected record acres

By Dwayne Klassen May 14, 2012

Canola contracts on the ICE Futures Canada platform lost some ground during the week ended May 4. The declines posted in the nearby May and July futures were greater than in the November-and-beyond months. The unwinding of the old-crop/new-crop spreads was a feature during the week, which resulted in the nearby months moving down and

Cereals, Grain Markets, News

Open-market supporters optimistic post-CWB monopoly

By Allan Dawson May 4, 2012

There’s lots of optimism ahead of ending the wheat board’s monopoly Aug. 1, but there will be challenges too, according to a panel that spoke at the Canada Grain Council’s 43rd annual meeting in Winnipeg April 16. “I just say the sky is the limit now,” said Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association president Kevin Bender.

Cereals, Crops, Grain Markets, News, Oilseeds

Forecasts call for record acres seeded to canola

By Phil Franz-Warkentin May 3, 2012

Old-crop canola contracts climbed to new highs on the ICE Futures Canada platform during the week ended April 27, as the tight supply situation in Western Canada provided underlying support. Commercials were also scrambling to cover their short positions rather than be forced to make deliveries on the nearby May contract before it comes off

Cereals, Crops, Grain Markets, News

Iran poised to buy feed grains

April 30, 2012

hamburg / london / reuters / Iran’s government is expected to start buying hundreds of thousands of tonnes of feed grains to help its farmers deal with a shortage of feed for livestock. Western sanctions have made it increasingly difficult for private-sector grain importers to arrange payments because they are frozen out of the global

Crops, Grain Markets, News, Oilseeds

USDA surprises by standing pat on corn stocks

April 30, 2012

chicago / reuters / The U.S. Department of Agriculture pegged U.S. corn ending stocks in the 2011-12 marketing year (Sept./Aug.) at 801 million bushels, April 10. That’s above trade estimates for 721 million and unchanged from its March estimate. USDA estimated U.S. soybean ending stocks at 250 million bushels, above trade estimates for 246 million

Cereals, Crops, Grain Markets, Oilseeds

Europe’s rapeseed problems may support canola

By Phil Franz-Warkentin April 30, 2012

ICE Futures Canada canola futures were lower overall during the week ended April 20, as fund traders holding large long positions took the opportunity to book some profits. After moving higher for most of 2012 before the recent correction, there is definitely an argument to be made that the top may be in for the

Crops, Grain Markets, News, Oilseeds

ICE set to introduce five new U.S. grain and oilseed contracts

By Christine Stebbins April 20, 2012

Reuters / ICE Futures US intends to begin offering five new U.S. grain and oilseed contracts, pending review by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The contracts include U.S. corn, wheat, soybeans, soybean meal and soybean oil, IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) announced. Futures contracts are slated to be available on May 14, with options available May 15. “These contracts

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Striking JBS workers to return to Colorado plant on promise of talks

Canadian finance minister talks supply chain integrity, pork tariffs with Chinese vice premier

New strategies needed for Canadian agriculture to stand out in global trade

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