Chickpea curry. (Modesigns58/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Chickpea market neither bullish nor bearish

Market players awaiting harvest

MarketsFarm — Hot and dry growing conditions earlier in the growing season cut into Canada’s chickpea yields in 2023-24, but quality should be good if the weather co-operates through the harvest. Canadian farmers planted 315,600 acres of chickpeas in 2023, which was well above the 233,800 acres seeded the previous year, according to Statistics Canada


(OceanFishing/iStock/Getty Images)

Little change seen in USDA’s WASDE report

U.S. corn, soy, wheat production figures down from July report

MarketsFarm — August figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) world agricultural supply/demand estimates (WASDE) provided very few surprises and not much change after their release Friday. However, crop production and carryout estimates were tightened from those in July. USDA’s 2023-24 corn production estimate declined by 209 million bushels from July to 15.111 billion,

ICE November 2023 canola with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola prices ‘cheap’ but rangebound

Trade also watching U.S. soy complex

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts held relatively rangebound during the week ended Wednesday, in choppy activity as traders wait to get a clearer picture on the size of this year’s crop. “Overall, canola is relatively cheap,” said Ken Ball of PI Financial in Winnipeg. He pointed to wide crush margins — over $200 per

(Qingwa/iStock/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly outlook: Few changes expected in coming U.S. reports

Trade's expectations already factored into prices

MarketsFarm — Soybeans may see significant changes in new-crop carryout numbers when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) releases several key reports Friday, but corn and wheat estimates will likely stay put for the most part, according to one analyst. USDA releases both its crop production report and its monthly world agricultural supply/demand estimates (WASDE)


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Pulse weekly outlook: recent rains could stabilize crops 

Prices for pulses across Western Canada have been steady

Marketsfarm – Despite the rain the Canadian Prairies received since July 17, MarketsFarm Pro analyst Mike Jubinville pointed out that the major pulse crop areas got very little.  While any precipitation has been beneficial to this year’s crops struggling with dry conditions, Jubinville said, it won’t help that much.  “In terms of advancing pea and

Wheat in progress west of Pathlow, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2022. (Dave Bedard photo)

At Ag in Motion: World may face wheat shortage this year

An analyst says millers should be getting antsy

Wheat is finally becoming a “sexy” crop after years of being the ugly duckling, an analyst says. Stephen Nicholson, global grains and oilseeds strategist for Rabobank, said a series of supply-side threats is making things exciting. Canada’s crops are withering in the fields. MarketsFarm is forecasting 30.4 million tonnes of all-wheat production, well below the

(Dave Bedard photo)

Flax production to drop with fewer acres, dry conditions

'Prices are definitely going to be climbing'

MarketsFarm — As with other crops on the Canadian Prairies, flax has been struggling with the hot and dry conditions across the region. That said, Scott Shiels of Grain Millers Canada at Yorkton, Sask. noted there’s very little doubt when it comes to flax prices increasing during the course of 2023. Presently, old-crop flax was


(Christophe Paul photo courtesy USDA)

CBOT weekly outlook: Markets react bearishly to WASDE report

Traders were expecting reduced U.S. corn yield

MarketsFarm — The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) saw futures come down after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its monthly world agricultural supply and demand estimates (WASDE) on Wednesday. Corn prices were 18 cents per bushel lower on the day, while soybeans lost 27-33 cents (all figures US$). Chicago soft wheat shed 24-28

File photo of a sunflower crop in Manitoba. (MysticEnergy/Getty Images)

Manitoba sunflowers doing well with fewer acres

Few pest, weed problems appear so far

MarketsFarm — Despite fewer acres under hot and dry conditions, things are going well for Manitoba’s sunflower crop. Out of the 88,000 acres planted for sunflowers across Canada, 77,000 of them are in Manitoba, according to Statistics Canada’s (StatCan) principal field crop acreage estimates released June 28. Both figures represent the fewest number of acres