Canadian rail companies' concerns that legislation passed by the federal government in 2014 would open the Western Canadian grain market to "poaching" by U.S. railways appear to be unfounded so far, much to the dismay of farmers and farm organizations hoping for increased competition for Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railways. With the passage of... Read More
Category: Markets
Grain markets started 2015 out on a bad foot as the first trading day of the year on Friday, January 2nd was all red. But the complex rebounded in the following days thanks to weather concerns and managed-money changing positions. Oats, corn, (Chicago) wheat, and soybeans continue to hover over some nice even numbers of... Read More
Low oil prices should translate into reduced input prices for farmers, but don't expect to see major declines in fertilizer prices before the 2015 growing season, according to a lending institution consultant speaking at St. Jean Farm Days in Manitoba this week. "I think in the long run we will see our cost of production... Read More
In 2013, the Canadian beef industry initiated efforts to create a comprehensive strategy that identified a vision, mission and priorities for the sector, while aligning key industry players. Today, that work went to print, and The National Beef Strategy was released. “The need for industry to push itself is now,” said Martin Unrau, co-chair of... Read More
Farm machinery dealers are hoping to offset recent declines in equipment sales by expanding the services they provide to producers. After six consecutive years of strong growth, year-over-year sales of new equipment declined by as much as 25 percent for dealers in parts of Western Canada in 2014, according to John Schmeiser, CEO of the... Read More
The amount of data we can collect on farms has grown exponentially over the last decade or two. Whether it’s through yield monitors, images captured by satellites or drones, smartphone apps or RFID sensors, our ability to track and record what’s happening has come a long way from the pocketbooks of earlier generations. And there’s... Read More
There were roughly 95 million cattle in the United States as of July 1, 2014, a 3% drop from 2012 numbers, but that could turn around, according to John Navlinka of Sterling Marketing. “I think we’re beginning to build herds and it’s going to be slow — it’s not going to be a rapid buildup... Read More
2014 started out with a lot of frustration: Grain was hardly moving through Canada as the Great White North experienced some record cold temperatures and record ice cover on the Great Lakes. With the railroads making more money moving oil, elevators couldn’t take deliveries and the amount of ships sitting at the port waiting for... Read More
The odds of a fertilizer shortage in Western Canada this upcoming spring are lower than they were last year, according to a Saskatchewan-based sales manager for fertilizer manufacturer Yara Canada. “We’re off to a good start. We’ve actually had record Q1 shipping of all products in Western Canada,” explains Dean Anderson in the interview below,... Read More
It’s been a wild finish to a wild year in the beef market, with prices dropping off over the last few weeks from the record highs set in November. While feeder cattle futures dropped by the limit for five consecutive days in mid-December, producers should not lose sight of the fact there’s still strong fundamental... Read More