What does a wizard have to do with cattle prices? Nothing really, but it would seem that there are some zany factors at play in cattle production where somehow cattle prices are climbing even as feed costs are dropping. Is it magic? Not quite, says Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, but prices are... Read More
Category: Markets
The current down trend for grains and oilseeds is being driven by weather here at home and around the world. In just the last couple of weeks the markets have bumped a little off the lows, most notably in corn. Why is that? As Ted Seifried, with Zaner Ag Hedge, explains, it's all being driven... Read More
Cattle producers have reasons to smile right now, as strong prices and strong demand paints a rosy picture for the short-term. Hog producers, however, aren't so lucky as prices dip. At the same time, grocery bills are rising and consumers have tough choices to make on protein — will they keep buying beef, even at... Read More
Update, June 9: The Canadian government has decided to sign on as a third party in the United States’ request for dispute settlement consultations regarding Mexico’s restrictions on biotechnology in agriculture. The U.S. government's challenge of Mexico's ban of genetically-modified (GM) corn for common food uses is being closely monitored in Canada, specifically in the... Read More
The current commodity markets are a key economic indicator, and as many are well aware, in the commodity world the key indicator is crude oil. Where crude goes, so does the rest of the commodities, says Errol Anderson, president of ProMarket Communications Inc., based at Calgary, Alta. As things look according to Anderson, there's a... Read More
Cattle markets have held their own over the last week, with prime grilling season underway heading into the Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. and Father's Day around the corner. U.S. cattle prices this week ranged from one to three dollars higher, from south to north, explains Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange in... Read More
Olymel says it has "made the difficult decision" to reduce its hog operations in Western Canada due to continued financial losses and uncertainty in pork markets. Approximately 80 employees at five sow facilities in Alberta (Smoky Sow/Dev, Pinnacle 1, Pinnacle 2, Dynacrest 1 and Dynacrest 2) and one farm in Saskatchewan (Kelsey) have been given... Read More
Concerns about drought stress in the U.S. wheat growing area may have bumped the slumping wheat market higher for a day or two, but farmers deciding when to sell both old and new crop need to look at the bigger picture, including the overall economic slowdown, global crop production, and higher interest rates, says the... Read More
The road back to profitability for the pork sector is likely long and difficult as Canadian producers continue to face a troublesome combination of declining domestic demand, fewer opportunities in export markets, and the spectre of tougher U.S. animal welfare regulations that could drive prices lower. It all adds up to tough times for pork... Read More
The immediate impact of finding a BSE-positive cow in Alberta in 2003 was swift and brutal. Overnight, Canada's export market evaporated and prices for cattle, especially older animals, tanked. As we look back on the decades that have followed, the longer-lasting impacts have been monumental, but not necessarily as clear. To dive in to what... Read More