Reading Time: 2 minutes Tight supplies combined with prudent farmer selling are keeping feed barley bids well supported in Western Canada for the time being. However, declining wheat prices and improving North American moisture conditions heading into the summer have the potential to weigh on values going forward, according to a feed grains broker. Barley delivered into the key […] Read more
Barley bids firm, but more downside than upside ahead
Poor durum premiums in North Dakota may dissuade acres
Reading Time: < 1 minute Durum bids in North Dakota have lost their premium over other spring wheat in recent weeks, which will likely lower seeding intentions for the crop, according to an official with the North Dakota Wheat Commission. Durum prices are fairly close to spring wheat values right now, and the lack of a significant premium will likely […] Read more
Shortened hours coming to Chicago futures market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Grain and oilseed futures at the Chicago Board of Trade and Kansas City Board of Trade will revert back to their traditional 1:15 pm CT close, starting April 8. CME Group, which owns the two exchanges and announced its plans Tuesday, said the move to shorten hours came after a consultation process with producers, commercial […] Read more
Rotational issues may limit Man. sunflower acres
Reading Time: 2 minutes Sunflower acres in Manitoba will likely hold steady on the year, but an increase back toward more traditional averages is seen as unlikely, given rotational issues and competition from other crops. Manitoba farmers planted 100,000 acres of sunflowers in 2012, which came in well above the 35,000 planted in 2011 when weather issues in the […] Read more
CWRS wheat bids soften slightly, watching U.S. futures
Reading Time: < 1 minute Cash wheat bids across Western Canada saw some choppiness during the two weeks ended March 4, with spot bids for Canada Western red spring (CWRS) wheat steady to a couple of dollars per tonne lower in most areas, but up a few dollars in others. Basis levels did generally improve, as cash prices in Western […] Read more
MGEX spring wheat futures seen heading higher
Reading Time: 2 minutes Spring wheat futures at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) posted steady declines over the past month, but have found some support as farmer selling backs away and basis levels improve, said a spring wheat broker who expected prices to rise in the short term. Demand for hard spring wheat has been routine, despite the drop […] Read more
ICE canola stuck in tug of war
Reading Time: < 1 minute ICE Futures Canada canola contracts moved lower during the week ended Feb. 27, retreating from nearby highs as losses in Chicago soybeans spilled over to weigh on values. However, canola did run into nearby support and remains range-bound overall, according to an analyst. Canola has been stuck in a broad range over the past month, […] Read more
Grainworld: Feed barley pricing window expected at harvest
Reading Time: < 1 minute Canada’s barley growers should be able to see a small window of pricing opportunity at harvest when new-crop production is available and the U.S. corn crop is still in the field. Charlie Pearson, a crops market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development in Edmonton, noted that harvest window when speaking here Monday at the […] Read more
Grainworld: Malt barley faces competition from GM crops
Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s expected more and more malt barley in Western Canada will be grown solely on a contracted basis going forward, as increasing competition from easier to grow genetically modified crops will cause producers to turn away from malt barley. That’s according to Patrick Rowan, senior manager of Canadian barley operations with BARI-Canada Inc., in a […] Read more
Grainworld: Best wheat futures markets for Canada debated
Reading Time: 2 minutes After decades of marketing wheat through the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk, the western Canadian grain sector is still working out the best way to hedge the commodity, seven months into the new open market. Representatives of the CME Group, Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) and ICE Futures Canada were all on hand here Monday at […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
