Grains saw a choppy end to the trading month of May as government reports seemed to sway the market the most. Corn and wheat prices on the futures board saw their values fall as USDA crop progress reports reminded everyone that a lot of corn is already in the ground and that wheat crops in... Read More
Category: Markets
The Canadian Pork Council has published a study outlining not only what Canadian hog producers stand to gain from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but more significantly, what the Canadian hog sector would lose if Canada isn’t part of the multi-lateral trade deal. While the TPP negotiations currently include 12 countries, for Canadian hog producers, the deal... Read More
Wheat futures have dropped sharply this week after spiking earlier this month, as the rising U.S. dollar is once again weighing on American commodities. The currency effect is also being noticed in the oilseed complex, as Canadian canola futures have climbed while soybean values in Chicago have fallen over the last few weeks. As part... Read More
Canadian wheat sales into the U.S. have grown since the end of the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly in 2012, but there are still obstacles for American wheat growers interested in marketing their crop north of the border. Under the Canada Grains Act, as it stands right now, U.S. wheat delivered to Canadian elevators automatically receives... Read More
The number of flax acres in Western Canada will likely be up this year, but it’s looking like it might not be as high as many analysts and people in the flax industry were expecting. According to Statistics Canada’s planting intentions report released last month, farmers in Western Canada are planting 1.63 million acres of... Read More
Grain markets pulled back from their hot start to the week with only canola finishing in the green, its July contract climbing to close the week at $463.20/metric tonne, thanks to a stronger U.S. dollar. Wheat and corn prices did have a hot start to the week because of concerns of sub-zero temperatures and a... Read More
It’s been a big week for the beef industry, with news that the World Trade Organization has ruled against Country of Origin Labeling for a fourth and final time and the subsequent — almost immediate — introduction and approval of a bill to repeal it by the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. But, what does all... Read More
Update on May 20th: The U.S. House Agriculture Committee, as expected, approved Chair Michael Conoway’s bill to repeal COOL on Wednesday morning by a vote of 38-6. It’s expected the entire House will vote on it in early June. The final ruling from the World Trade Organization against U.S. mandatory country of origin labeling and... Read More
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
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