Tests have confirmed the avian influenza that’s killed thousands of birds at two British Columbia poultry farms is a “high-path” strain of H5N2. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday confirmed the results from tests done at the National Centre for Foreign Animal Diseases in Winnipeg on samples from the two Fraser Valley farms — […] Read more
Avian flu outbreak in B.C. is high-path H5N2
Larger Canadian wheat, canola crops beat expectations
CNS Canada — Canada’s 2014-15 wheat and canola crops both ended up considerably larger than early guesses, according to updated production estimates released Thursday by Statistics Canada. Production, however, was still well below the record levels seen the previous year. After the canola crop was pegged at 14.08 million tonnes in StatsCan’s October report, average […] Read more
Canada/Korea trade pact to kick in Jan. 1
Legislators in both Canada and South Korea have ratified the two countries’ bilateral free trade deal to take effect next month. Canada’s Trade Minister Ed Fast on Wednesday announced the Canada-Korea Economic Growth and Prosperity Act has received royal assent just as the South Korean National Assembly has passed its Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA) […] Read more
Return to ‘normal’ ice conditions expected for Great Lakes
CNS Canada — After record ice levels kept shipping lanes on the Great Lakes closed longer than normal during the 2013-14 winter, a return to more normal ice conditions is in the forecasts for 2014-15, according to data compiled by the North American Ice Service and released Wednesday. “Right now, we’re looking at a near-normal […] Read more
Mustard prices softening, but oriental holding its own
CNS Canada — Mustard prices have been drifting lower but oriental varieties have been showing relative strength. Despite a turbulent growing season, complete with hailstorms and excess rain, a prominent mustard merchant says most of the samples he’s seen to date are No. 1 grade. Walter Dyck, a buyer with Wisconsin-based Olds Food Products, said […] Read more
CBOT soybean market lacking positive drivers
CNS Canada — Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) soybean futures moved lower during the week ended Wednesday and could continue drifting downward as there’s not much positive underpinning the market. “There’s talk of China slowing down demand, we’ve seen the seasonal top in export inspections, and Chinese crush margins are running right around negative,” said […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat drops on profit taking, export prospects
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures fell 2.3 per cent on Wednesday, retreating from near six-month highs on a round of profit taking and ideas that the recent rally had made U.S. supplies uncompetitive on the global market, traders said. Corn and soybeans edged higher, turning positive late in the trading day. Soybeans received […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Soft cash price outlook sinks CME live cattle
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures sagged Wednesday in anticipation of weaker prices for slaughter-ready (cash) cattle, traders said. Futures’ losses, sunken margins and packers struggling to sell significant amounts of beef to retailers are bearish cash price indicators. Additionally, cash prices tend to slump seasonally in late November, but snap […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Canola looking bearish with soybeans
CNS Canada — ICE Futures Canada canola contracts moved lower during the week ended Wednesday, as bearish technical signals, declines in the outside crude oil market and losses in CBOT soybeans weighed on values. While a short-covering correction is possible in the near-term, the longer-term direction will continue to be dictated by soybeans. The nearby […] Read more
Two more B.C. poultry farms quarantined for avian flu
Two Fraser Valley poultry farms — both of which received birds from one of two farms quarantined this week with confirmed cases of H5 avian influenza — are now also under federal quarantine. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Wednesday the two traceout farms were “determined to be at high risk” for avian flu. Birds […] Read more