Today marks one year since the CWB was stripped of its monopoly. This climax of, oh, 40 years (or more?) of bickering between those for and against the monopoly was a great day for many, but also rather anti-climatic. As RealAgriculture.com shared then, August 1, 2012 dawned with no earthquakes, riots in the streets or... Read More
Category: Markets
It's always a treat to find an economist whose insights and discussions don't bore you to tears or leave you feeling a wee bit deflated (sorry, economists!). That's why RealAgriculture.com is always glad to cross paths with Glen Hodgson, senior vice president & chief economist with the Conference Board of Canada, as he's not just... Read More
Russia's Uralkali has put the market through the ringer this morning. In a story that has many caught off guard, Russia's Uralkali has decided to break up its partnership in Belarus Potash Company. This has greatly impacted the ability for the potash cartel to operate effectively. As reported on CNBC.com this morning, The break-up of... Read More
Hedging is a big scary word to many farmers. And it's understandable — it's an account that can flucuate significantly, making it seem like you've lost money. But, unlike speculators that never grow or store crops, farmers are in a unique position to use hedging as a low-risk price management tool. Why? Because as your... Read More
Mid-summer is typically a lower price window in the cattle market, and this year is no different. What is different, however, versus the last few summers, is the cattle-feeder friendly weather and crop prices building for this fall. As Shaun Haney and Anne Wasko, of Gateway Livestock, discuss in this latest Beef Market Update, seasonal... Read More
For a bit of a change of pace, Shaun Haney and Anne Wasko sat down face to face for this edition of the Beef Market Update. Filmed at the International Livestock Congress held last week in Calgary, Alta., this Beef Market Update covers several good news topics in stark contrast to last year's discussion at... Read More
In what is being described as a “momentous occasion” by its chairperson, the Board of Directors of Cigi (Canadian International Grains Institute) has approved a new governance model for the institute, according to a press release. The change, approved at its annual general meeting on June 18, will see board membership expand to include representation... Read More
It's tough being a small fish in a big pond. In this case, Canada's beef industry is that minnow in the giant ocean that is the U.S. beef industry. Or perhaps that's not fair — it would seem the big hiccup with the entire mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) fiasco is that, according to... Read More
To say it was a tough winter is perhaps an understatement. High feed costs, cold weather and the dollar at par or better weighed on the cattle market well into the spring. Add the misery of more stringent COOL requirements, and there have been some grumpy faces in the cattle market these days. Brian Perillat,... Read More
A cool start delayed corn planting in the U.S., so much so that there's a rumoured 78 million acres of soybeans in the ground down south. A late start means the critical pollination period of the crop — a huge factor in determining yield — into the typically hot weeks of late July. While the... Read More