CNS Canada –– High freight costs and a reluctance by farmers to sell at current prices has made for a sluggish start to the New Year for oats, according to an industry participant. “Price expectations for oats are higher than what the current market is offering,” said Ryan McKnight, grain merchandising manager at Linear Grain […] Read more
Oat growers wait for better prices in 2015
In surprise move, Target to pull out of Canada
Toronto | Reuters — Target Corp. will abandon its ill-fated expansion into Canada less than two years after launch, the U.S. discount retailer said on Thursday, in a surprise retreat that will put more than 17,000 employees out of work and cost it billions. Shares of Target, which was granted creditor protection for its money-losing […] Read more
Chipotle’s pork plight could hurt Q1 results
Reuters –– Chipotle Mexican Grill’s decision to suspend purchases from a pork producer that ran afoul of its animal welfare requirements could bolster its reputation with diners but threatens sales and profits this quarter, an analyst said Wednesday. The burrito chain’s move caused a supply shortfall that is hitting about one-third of its roughly 1,800 […] Read more
CBOT soybeans poised to drop below US$10
CNS Canada — The Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures market has dropped sharply during the week ended Wednesday, and is poised to fall even further. “For March soybeans, I think it could potentially trade back to the US$9.45-$9.50 per bushel area,” said Terry Reilly of Futures International in Chicago (all figures US$). A bearish […] Read more
ICE weekly: Canola strength may be limited
CNS Canada — ICE Futures Canada canola contracts were mixed during the week ended Wednesday, with the most active front months posting gains and losses in the more deferred positions. While there is still more room to the upside, weakness in CBOT soybeans could spill over to pull the Canadian futures down. The open interest […] Read more
Federal funding pledged for crop market development work
Canadian crop commodity groups getting federal AgriMarketing funding plan to put the money to work over five years — not just in salesmanship, but in developing their crops’ story for potential customers. Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz made two five-year funding announcements during the CropSphere 2015 conference Tuesday and Wednesday in Saskatoon: over $3.3 million […] Read more
Outdoor Farm Show owner sets sights on Saskatchewan
The owners of the biggest outdoor farm show in Canada have announced plans to put the business model to work northwest of Saskatoon. Farm publishing house Glacier FarmMedia, owners of the Woodstock, Ont.-based Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show and this website, on Wednesday announced its chosen site and date for the inaugural edition of what it’s dubbed Ag in […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Active fund selloff extends CME live cattle losses
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle fell for a seventh straight session on Wednesday as funds liquidated positions in association with their yearly rebalancing of commodities, traders said. Funds involved in CME’s livestock markets that follow the Standard + Poor’s Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (S+P GSCI) sold, or “rolled,” their February long […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn falls to five-week low on big ethanol supply, technicals
Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. corn fell one per cent on Wednesday, extending declines from the past two sessions to the largest in 1-1/2 years on pressure from chart-based selling and ballooning supplies of grain-based ethanol. Wheat had its sixth straight down day, pulled lower by plentiful global supplies of wheat and corn. Soybeans reversed […] Read more
Farrowing barn is Quebec’s ninth PED case
Animal health officials in Quebec’s Monteregie have confirmed three more hog operations with cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) since Friday. The province’s swine health team (EQSP) said Friday it had confirmed PED in hogs at a 2,700-head nursery operation at St-Aime, with an epidemiological link to the province’s sixth case at a nearby nursery […] Read more