It's time for the Frontlines podcast! Shaun Haney is joined by Jacob Shapiro of Cognitive Investments, to tackle the top geopolitical issues impacting agriculture. Up for discussion in this episode: Skirmish in the Red Sea — the U.S. is working to stop Iran-backed Houthi attacks in the shipping lane Logistics are definitely impacted, but is... Read More
Category: Markets
The U.S. Department of Agriculture added to the bearish tone in grain markets with larger-than-expected yield, production and stocks estimates in a series of reports published on Friday. Both the headline corn and soybean yield numbers for 2023 were higher than all trade estimates prior to the report, with corn yield pegged at a record... Read More
How much crop have you got priced already? The last few years are the exception to the rule, where waiting to price at least some crop proved the better move. On average, incremental sales when the market moves in your favour is a sound grain marketing strategy. Current grain prices haven't got many very excited... Read More
The weakest prices in over three years, combined with prospects of another drought, are expected to put a dent in canola acres as cropping decisions for 2024 are finalized. Unfortunately for those on the selling side, grain and oilseed markets have been posting losses like the Ottawa Senators or Columbus Blue Jackets rather than Jonathon... Read More
Following a scheduled five-year review of the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework, the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) has announced a few changes and updates to the program. The Certified Sustainable Beef Framework is a voluntary, outcome-based certification program for beef sustainability in Canada. It was developed by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef in... Read More
The union representing 384 employees at Viterra's grain elevators in Saskatchewan and another 65 staff at the company's office in Regina has suspended previously-announced strike action pending a vote on a revised offer from the company. Viterra updated its offer to members of the Grain and General Services Union (GSU) Locals 1 and 2 on... Read More
The Bank of Canada considers several economic factors each month as it decides on what to do with the overnight rate. The overnight rate has risen from 0.5% in March of 2022 to 5% by mid-2023, however the BoC has held firm on the rate for a few months now. Expectations are for a decrease... Read More
The first three months of the calendar year aren't historically much to write home about for the cattle markets, and this first week of January 2024 is living up to the ho-hum expectation. There's still plenty to be watching, however, and Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock Exchange says that ample supplies of beef are definitely... Read More
Every market functions under supply and demand. To varying degrees, as demand increases, so do prices — if supply stays the same. If supply stays the same or grows but demand drops off, prices fall. It's a simplified explanation and in the real world several factors play into the total demand, total supply, and the... Read More
The market doesn't care about your feelings. It's a hard truth but a good one to remember when hesitating on pricing some crop or booking inputs. Why? Well, as Brian Voth of IntelliFarm explains, farmers can be comfortable paying higher prices for fertilizer to ensure they have it on-farm, but hesitate to lock in a... Read More