(Dave Bedard photo)

Attention turns to yield potential after StatsCan report

Future tweaks to acreage numbers seen as unlikely to sway markets

MarketsFarm — Updated acreage estimates from Statistics Canada came largely within market expectations, with the focus now shifting to growing conditions and yield potential. The survey was completed in early June “and may not have captured all of the seeding delays and potential shifts that may have happened in central/northern Alberta and northwestern Saskatchewan because […] Read more

CBOT August 2020 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

CBOT weekly outlook: Corn, soy in ‘Groundhog Day’ mode ahead of report

Traders expect report to show more U.S. soy acres, less corn area

MarketsFarm — Soybean and corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade are biding their time in narrow, rangebound trade, awaiting updated acreage and stocks data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture later in the month. “It’s almost like Groundhog Day,” said Terry Reilly of Futures International in Chicago, referring to the 1993 movie in […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Little change seen in June’s crop supply/demand tables

MarketsFarm — Supply/demand estimates for Canada’s major crops saw little change in updated tables released Tuesday from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Acreage estimates from Statistics Canada are due out June 30, and should lead to more sizeable adjustments in subsequent reports. Canola ending stocks were left unchanged at 2.6 million tonnes for the current marketing […] Read more



(Dragos Cojocari/iStock/Getty Images)

Hog sector hit hard by pandemic

Market weakness seen likely to push some farmers out of business

MarketsFarm — COVID-19 has hit the hog sector hard, with the double-edged sword of large supplies and reduced demand weighing heavily on the market. “The prospect of profitability at current forward prices and at current cash prices is nil… and there’s really no prospect of making anything this year,” said Tyler Fulton, director of risk […] Read more

MGEX September 2020 spring wheat (candlesticks) and Kansas City (K.C.) September 2020 hard red winter wheat (yellow line). (Barchart)

CBOT weekly outlook: Spring wheat premium widening over winter wheat

Row crop futures stuck in sideways range

MarketsFarm — All eyes remain on weather conditions in U.S. grain and oilseed markets, with soybeans and corn stuck in sideways patterns while seasonal harvest pressure causes the spring wheat premium to widen over the winter wheats. The advancing winter wheat harvest has weighed on Chicago and Kansas City winter wheat contracts recently, with reports […] Read more


(File photo by Dave Bedard)

ICE weekly outlook: Attention on weather after short-covering rally in canola

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts have recovered off of lows hit at the beginning of the month, with speculative short-covering a feature as attention in the markets turns to North American growing conditions. While canola ran into some resistance Wednesday, there may still be more room to the upside. Canadian canola is at a […] Read more



(Split Second Stock/iStock/Getty Images)

With beer taps off, malt barley demand down

No significant drop in barley acres expected

MarketsFarm — Declining beer consumption due to the COVID-19 pandemic will also lead to reduced demand for the malt barley to brew it — but acreage to the crop is unlikely to see much adjustment on the Prairies. “I don’t think there’s any question — without sporting events, and festivals, and concerts – that beer […] Read more