Business/Finance Archives - Page 28 of 63

Crumbling river infrastructure is putting pressure on the ability of the U.S. to meet grain market demand.

Wooden dams and river jams: U.S. strains to ship record grains

In a story familiar to Prairie farmers, the U.S. grain-handling system is creaking under a heavy load

By Karl Plume, Tom Polansek December 20, 2017

America’s worst traffic jam this fall occurred on the Ohio River, where a line of about 50 miles of boats hauling grains and other products turned into a water-borne parking lot, as ship captains waited for the river to reopen. Such delays are worsening on the nation’s waterways, which are critical to commerce for the

Currency markets, Markets, News, Other

Loonie set to weaken heading into new year

Many factors appear set to weigh in against our dollar in the coming days

By Phil Franz-Warkentin December 15, 2017

The Canadian dollar has seen some wide moves over the past week, but appears to be trending lower relative to its U.S. counterpart heading into 2018, according to a currency analyst. “We see (the Canadian dollar) weaker for the first quarter of this year,” said currency strategist Mark Chandler, of RBC Dominion Securities, pointing to

Markets, Opinion

Sizable fund shorts still hang over CBOT grain market

Market speculators are looking at ample supplies and sticking with their bets

By Karen Braun December 11, 2017

There is simply too much supply in the world to shake speculators from their tremendously bearish view of Chicago-traded grain futures and options, and their hefty short stance still looms over the market. Combining net positions through Nov. 21 in CBOT corn and wheat, K.C. wheat, and Minneapolis-traded wheat futures and options, money managers hold

Comment, Crops

If we are going to have a farm program, supply management makes the most sense

Revenue supports could break the cycle of over- and undersupply of agriculture commodities

By Daryll E. Ray, Harwood D. Schaffer December 8, 2017

The Texas Farmers Union contracted with the Agricultural Policy Analysis Center to develop a design for the commodity title of the 2018 Farm Bill based on supply management principles. Supply management, as a way to tackle the chronic price/income problems faced by farmers, has been out of favour in the U.S. for at least the

A worker checks mining equipment at the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan’s Lanigan mine.

News, Other

Merged fertilizer firm Nutrien eyes U.S. farm suppliers

Regulatory-driven divestitures are creating a sizable war chest for acquisitions

By Rod Nickel December 5, 2017

Nutrien, the company to be formed from the merger of Agrium and PotashCorp of Saskatchewan, plans to expand its U.S. farm supply network and return cash to shareholders, Chuck Magro, Agrium CEO, said Nov. 15, as it leverages unusually flush coffers during an agriculture slump. Regulators in China and India require Potash to divest minority

Markets, Oilseeds, Opinion

Opinion: Are U.S. soybean exports meeting market expectations?

By Karen Braun November 28, 2017

Although robust world soybean demand and competitive advantages have allowed the United States to surpass early-season export forecasts for four years in a row, market watchers wonder if this is the year that will break the mould. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s weekly soybean export figures have consistently met or exceeded analyst estimates so far.

Grain Markets, Markets

Canola prices likely capped by ample supplies

StatsCan has left canola projections unchanged in their  most recent supply/demand tables

November 23, 2017

ICE Canada canola prices bounced around within a wide range during the week ended Nov. 17, but finished on a firmer note as a rally in Chicago Board of Trade soybeans gave canola a boost. Any strength was largely tied to chart-based speculative buying, with no real fresh fundamental news as far as canola is

Opinion, Other

An open letter to the prime minister

By Brian Innes November 21, 2017

On behalf of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA), the voice of Canadian agriculture and agri-food exporters, I write to urge the Government of Canada to take a leadership role in securing a free trade agreement with the remaining 11 Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) members and to implement it without delay. As the second-largest economy in

Comment/Feedback, Other

We haven’t seen anything like this in a generation

The rise of the ‘grocerant’ appears poised to revolutionize both grocery chains and the restaurant business

By Sylvain Charlebois November 20, 2017

Food trends are difficult to follow these days. As with hip sectors such as the high-tech industry, the food industry is coming up with its own peculiar lingo when describing market shifts. One of the latest examples is ‘grocerant,’ a word combining ‘grocer’ and ‘restaurant.’ The term has been around for a few years, but it

While the most concerning proposed small corporation tax reforms have been shelved there are still a couple of areas of concern, MNP accountant Mike Poole told KAP’s recent advisory council meeting.

News, Other

Still some potential pitfalls in proposed federal tax reforms

Accountant hopes effects are manageable

By Allan Dawson November 16, 2017

The federal government’s revised tax change proposals have got rid of the most egregious problems, but a few provisions could still cost farmers money. That’s according to Mike Poole, a Brandon-based accountant with MNP, at a recent Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) advisory meeting. “I think it’s relatively small and manageable,” Poole told reporters after speaking

Daily Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures rise on first WASDE since September

U.S. export sales include only small soybean business to China

U.S. corn and soybean yields revised down by USDA

Tag Archives Business/Finance