The World Trade Organization has once again sided with Canada and Mexico, as the WTO Appellate Body published a fourth and final ruling on U.S. country of origin labeling rules today. The appeal panel decision affirmed earlier rulings saying COOL illegally discriminates against foreign livestock (read the report and findings here). “The United States has... Read More
Category: Markets
What a week! Seeding continues in Canada and the United States well ahead of schedule, creating bearish implications. That being said, freezing temperatures are in the forecast for a few areas and so the percentage complete could be lower than what officials are predicting. The lower U.S. dollar has also provided support to all commodity... Read More
Southern Manitoba has the right combination of soybean production and soybean meal demand to support a 2,000 tonne per day soybean crushing facility, according to a new report funded by the Canada and Manitoba governments and soybean industry partners. Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers partnered with Soy 20/20 to organize and co-fund the study, which... Read More
Overall farm tractor sales for the month of April in both Canada and the U.S. were up slightly over last year, but combine and 4-wheel-drive tractor purchases remain well off the 2014 sales pace. According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers' monthly report, total Canadian farm tractor sales in April 2015 were 3.5 percent higher... Read More
The grains complex ended the week on the up and up thanks to weather concerns, strong international purchasing, and the Kansas crop tour showing fields that came in below expectations. The oilseed complex was boosted by soybean oil and meal technicals, labour issues in South America, and Chinese buying. On the wheat side, Egypt bought... Read More
Approximately 25 percent of the 2015 crop on the Canadian prairies was in the ground at the start of this week (May 4th), according to the weather and crop specialist with CWB Market Research. Dry conditions in southern Alberta, southwestern Saskatchewan and south-central/southeastern Manitoba have allowed seeding operations to advance ahead of average, with “virtually... Read More
In theory, price transparency is required for a free market to be efficient. In reality, farmers like to know they’re getting a fair value for their grain. A lack of transparency was seen by some producers as one of the reasons why the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly needed to be dismantled. That wish was granted... Read More
Grains this we week were mostly pressured by a lower U.S. dollar, as the Canadian Loonie rebounded to a whopping 83 cents, and seeding conditions across most of North America remaining pretty good. U.S. export sales showcased more international buyers canceling old crop wheat contracts and switching things over to buying new crop. Despite that,... Read More
Whether it’s the 30 percent increase in oat acres expected in Western Canada this year, the news that one of the largest millers in the world won’t accept oats treated with glyphosate, or the underlying trend lower in the entire cereal crop complex, there’s plenty of uncertainty to go around in the oat market right... Read More
Remember last year, when hog prices spiked and concerns about high bacon prices hit headlines in the mainstream news? For pig producers and processors, those days are distant history, as the North American pork market has since undergone a major reversal. Not wanting to expose consumers to volatility, grocery stores generally lag behind the hog... Read More