Reading Time: 2 minutes London | Reuters — Anglo-Dutch consumer group Unilever has invited private-equity bidders to submit tentative offers for its US$8 billion margarine and spreads business by a deadline of Oct. 19, two sources close to the matter told Reuters. The business includes the brands Stork and Flora, the latter of which is sold under the name […] Read more
Unilever spreads business whets private-equity appetite
Global study finds trace neonics in much of world’s honey
Reading Time: 2 minutes A study by Swiss scientists has found trace levels of at least one neonicotinoid pesticide in three-quarters of the honey samples it collected from around the world. The study, spearheaded by a team from Switzerland’s Universite de Neuchatel and published in Friday’s edition of the journal Science, was meant to assess “global exposure of pollinators […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Canola flat, awaiting spark
Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — ICE Futures Canada canola contracts held within a narrow $5 range over the past week, lacking any significant fundamental news one way or the other as market participants look for direction. “There’s just no news in the market,” said analyst Wayne Palmer of Agri-Trend. He thought prices would eventually move higher, but […] Read more
Canola crush margins half of year-ago level
Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — Canola crush margins in Western Canada are at about half the level as seen at the same point a year ago. As of Monday, the Canola Board Crush Margin calculated by ICE Futures Canada was about $56 above the November contract, which compares with levels a month ago of roughly $71. At […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Canola facing uphill climb
Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — Bearish headwinds facing the canola market may have gotten slightly worse, after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it was considering cuts to biofuel requirements in U.S. fuel. The EPA said Tuesday it was looking for feedback on proposed reductions to the renewable fuel obligations in the 2018 and 2019 Renewable Fuel […] Read more
Prairie canola, soy now in Cargill ProPricing portfolio
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canola and soybean growers in Western Canada are now able to get in on Cargill’s ProPricing grain marketing program for the 2017-18 season. The U.S. agrifood company’s Winnipeg-based Canadian arm announced Sept. 14 it would offer its first-ever canola contract in its ProPricing portfolio, allowing eligible growers to hand off a portion of their canola […] Read more
Using futures and options in uncertain times
AME Management: Every year has its unique events, but with this strategy, farmers can provide profit opportunities that an “ordinary” year simply wouldn’t make available
Reading Time: 4 minutes Already, 2017 has been a year of uncertainty due both to unpredictable weather and political patterns. (We won’t speculate on which is the less predictable!) Uncertainty breeds large amounts of price volatility. Many farmers argue that using futures and options is too hard and carries the risk of cash-flow drains. They prefer to use the […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Canola rangebound, watching harvest
Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — Canola futures moved steadily higher over the course of the week ended Wednesday, but remain firmly entrenched in a sideways trading range as seasonal harvest pressure continues to limit the upside. “Most of the markets are still just killing time… everybody is just monitoring things to see where they go next,” said […] Read more
Partially hydrogenated oils on the way out
Reading Time: 2 minutes The federal government has served a year’s notice on partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) as ingredients in foods sold in Canada. Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor announced Friday that PHOs will be added to Canada’s List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating Substances effective Sept. 15, 2018, giving Canadian food processors and importers “enough time to find […] Read more
StatsCan’s model-based estimates confirm larger crops
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Canadian canola and wheat production likely ended up larger than earlier estimates, according to computer model-based data released Tuesday by Statistics Canada. The model-based estimates are calculated by incorporating satellite data, agro-climate data, and Statistics Canada’s field crop reporting data. The numbers compare with the survey of farmers released Aug. 31. Total […] Read more
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