CNS Canada –– Weather issues in India have generated some rumblings in the international chickpea market recently, but prices remain subdued in Western Canada and aren’t expected to see any significant strength in the near term. “The chickpea market is still being dominated by very cheap Russian and Argentine supplies,” said Colin Young of Midwest […] Read more
Chickpea prices subdued, bounce unlikely in short term
Walmart to boost fresh food handle in Canada
The Canadian arm of U.S. retail giant Walmart has earmarked about $340 million to build 29 new retail and grocery supercentres and to expand its distribution networks for fresh food and online shopping. The company on Wednesday announced it will spend about $230 million in fiscal 2015 (ending Jan. 31, 2016) on supercentre projects, including […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Canola hangs tough with loonie
CNS Canada –– ICE Futures Canada canola contracts were rangebound for the week ended Wednesday, but managed to post slight gains overall as a weaker Canadian dollar supported values. “Weakness in the Canadian dollar is the underlying supportive factor,” said Keith Ferley of RBC Dominion Securities in Winnipeg. Funds are very long right now, he […] Read more
Labour minister says CP, engineers urged to bargain
Vancouver | Reuters — Federal Labour Minister Kellie Leitch on Wednesday said she was encouraging the parties at Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) to bargain, but declined to speculate on what Ottawa might do if workers went out on strike. CP said its managers will be ready to take over if the railway’s engineers and conductors […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans, wheat turn higher on bargain buying
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat and soybeans were narrowly higher on Wednesday, rebounding from losses earlier in the session on support from bargain buying and active spread trading after prices tumbled following a bearish government crop report released on Tuesday. Corn futures trimmed losses but still finished lower at the Chicago Board of Trade, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, hogs slump on demand, supply jitters
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell hard Wednesday on profit-taking led by slack meat sales ahead of increased supplies later, traders said. February closed 0.5 cent per pound lower at 158.6 cents, and April down 2.675 cents, to 151.1 cents (all figures US$). Tuesday’s U.S. Department of Agriculture supply/demand report […] Read more
Colombia’s coffee sector seen needing complete overhaul
Bogota | Reuters –– Colombia’s coffee sector needs a complete overhaul to recover from a huge loss of global market share, says a government-commissioned report, seen by Reuters, in which the recommendations include deregulation of exports and the introduction of a minimum price. Despite the undisputed quality of its mild arabica coffees, Colombia now supplies […] Read more
U.S. may lower cholesterol’s level of threat to health
Washington | Reuters — A U.S. advisory panel reviewing national dietary guidelines has decided to drop its caution against eating cholesterol-laden food, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. At a December meeting, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee discussed its decision to no longer deem cholesterol a “nutrient of concern,” according to the Post. The last set […] Read more
CP conductors, engineers serve strike notice
Unionized engineers and conductors on Canadian Pacific Railway’s (CP) trains have served formal notice they’ll strike Sunday, barring a negotiated deal with the company. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which represents CP’s locomotive engineers, conductors, trainmen and yardmen, said Tuesday it’s notified CP that the affected workers will strike effective 12:01 a.m. Sunday “in […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat falls one per cent on USDA outlook
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures fell 1.5 per cent on Tuesday, declining for the first time in four sessions after the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a monthly report estimated world ending stocks larger than analysts anticipated. Soybean futures shed one per cent while corn was narrowly lower. Prices for all three crops […] Read more