Canadian dollar flirts with U.S. parity

The Canadian dollar has reached parity with its U.S. counterpart because of the Bank of Canada’s commitment to a tightening bias. Despite struggling economies in the U.S. and the euro zone, the Canadian dollar will likely hover around the parity mark for the remainder of the year, according to one analyst. “The Bank of Canada

U.S. farmers buying lots of machinery

U.S. farmers are buying equipment as agricultural finances strengthen, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City said in its quarterly report on national farm lending. “Loans for farm machinery and equipment held at high levels with a sharp jump in the volume of intermediate-term loans,” the bank said in its survey, which included national statistics


Agriculture gets little mention in new provincial budget

Gas taxes are up, riparian credit is gone 
and nutrient management gets a 10 per cent 
tax credit in Manitoba’s 2012 budget

Farm leaders were underwhelmed by the first budget from Manitoba’s former agriculture minister. “I was with other farm leaders afterwards and we really didn’t have much to talk about,” said Doug Chorney, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers. Finance Minister Stan Struthers’ budget included a top-up of $15 an acre for Excess Moisture Insurance but that

Loonie expected to remain slightly below parity

Commodity News Service Canada / The loonie will likely remain slightly below parity with the U.S. greenback as continued global economic uncertainty will weigh on the Canadian currency, predicts currency analyst Greg Moore. The FX Strategist with TD Securities in Toronto expects the Canadian dollar to trade around 97 cents in the second quarter and around


In Brief… – for Mar. 17, 2011

Terminal deal:Richardson International Limited said March 10 it has agreed to buy the North East Terminal grain-handling facility in Wadena, Saskatchewan. The $25-million deal, which also includes crop input facilities at Wadena, Kelvington, Foam Lake and Ponass Lake, Saskatchewan, is expected to close on April 13. The sale hinges on approval by North East shareholders,

Food Price Rises Bring Risk Of New Riots

France’s agriculture minister warned the United Nations Feb. 18 that food riots like those of three years ago could break out around the world because of steep rises in food prices. Bruno Le Maire was addressing the General Assembly after the UN Food and Agriculture Organization reported earlier this month that its food price index


U.S. Says Its Policy Not To Blame

U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said Feb. 3 it was “unfair” to blame U.S. monetary policy for pushing up inflationary pressures in emerging market economies. Some analysts have blamed the fed’s quantitative easing for flooding the global economy with money and helping to drive prices for food and other commodities higher. “It’s entirely unfair

Personalized Gift Cards

Gift cards instead of actual presents seem to be gaining in popularity as they are less expensive to mail and provide the recipients with freedom of choice. To add a personal touch, wrap the gift cards so as to give a hint as to the contents. To do so, you will need to save the


Canadian Dollar Heading Back To Parity

The Canadian dollar is back within a cent of parity with its U.S. counterpart after seeing some choppy activity in recent weeks. The currency is expected to hold near parity, and likely move above the level, through 2011, according to an analyst. In the third quarter of 2010 the Canadian dollar was under-performing other international

Tips For Holiday Spending

Just as eating too much holiday food ruins a waistline, too much holiday spending can ruin a budget. Save yourself from this stress by mapping out your spending in advance. Prepare an overall holiday budget using realistic expenditures and stick to it. Set realistic spending limits. Take a hard look at what you can spend