The Bank of Canada in Ottawa. (Video screengrab from BankofCanada.ca)

Bank of Canada interest rate cut to give some borrowers relief

Effects on financial markets likely to be muted says FCC economist

The Bank of Canada trimmed its key policy rate on Wednesday to 4.75 per cent from a 23-year high of five per cent. Inflation is now running at 2.7 per cent, above the central bank's two per cent target, but down from a high of 8.1 per cent in June 2022, Reuters reported.




Photo: yalcinsonat1/iStock/Getty Images

Food and beverage sales to fall in 2024; processor margins to improve

Stabilizing or declining input prices working their way through the supply chain, FCC says

Farm Credit Canada is predicting Canadian food and beverage sales will fall slightly this year as consumers manage tight budgets. Gross margins, however, should increase as the effects of falling commodity prices work their way through the supply chain, the farm lender said in an April 9 news release.


(Dave Bedard photo)

Economic outlook marks hazards ahead

From interest rates to the dollar to commodity prices, here’s what Farm Credit Canada sees coming

Farm Credit Canada predicts a bit of a rocky road ahead for Canadian farmers, with input prices high, commodity prices low and interest rates not expected to drop in the short term. “The sentiment of the industry is not the greatest right now,” said Desmond Sobool, FCC’s director of economics and deputy chief economist, speaking




Darcy Herauf, director of the AgExpert division at FCC, speaks at AgDays in January 2024.

Stormy skies for cloud-based farm tech

Trust dilemma adds turbulence to ag data integration

Cloud-based software developers face a dilemma when trying to crack the agricultural market. On one hand, integrating all the on-farm data they can gather with government systems, equipment manufacturers and other software companies could help farmers manage productivity and make decisions easier. On the other hand, farmers worry that those same developers might turn the



(Dave Bedard photo)

FCC’s top economic charts to monitor in 2024

Downward trends for cattle, swine herds; positive bent to feed, fertilizer affordability

As we start the new year amid elevated inflation and major headwinds facing the economy, here are our top charts to help make sense of the economic environment for farm operations, agribusinesses and food processors.