Reading Time: 2 minutes 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
With beer taps off, malt barley demand down
No significant drop in barley acres expected
India reduces tariffs on lentils
Reduction set for all lentil imports except from U.S.
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — India is temporarily reducing import tariffs on lentils originating from most countries. The India government’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs on Tuesday posted “Notice 26/2020-Customs,” which lowers import taxes on most lentils entering the country, from 30 per cent to 10 per cent. The reduction, which takes immediate effect, runs until […] Read more
Huawei extradition ruling could unleash more Chinese backlash
More punitive trade measures expected
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa | Reuters — A British Columbia court ruling that could permit the extradition of a senior Huawei executive to the U.S. leaves Canada vulnerable to further retaliation from Beijing, analysts said. Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou on Wednesday lost a challenge to a U.S. bid to extradite her to face bank fraud charges, […] Read more
Huawei executive loses key court argument in fight against extradition
Reading Time: 2 minutes Toronto/Vancouver | Reuters — Huawei’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou has lost a key aspect of the trial on her extradition to the United States, a Canadian court announced on Wednesday. Meng, a Chinese citizen, was arrested in December 2018 in Vancouver on a warrant issued by U.S. authorities, who accuse her of bank fraud […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Chickpeas recover from previous lows
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Chickpea prices have recovered slightly from lows hit around the end of 2019, but they’re still a long way off historic highs from years past. Ahead of the 2018 growing season, chickpea prices were around 50 to 60 cents/lb. for growers, according to Darwin Hamilton of Kalshea Commodities in Winnipeg. Currently, large chickpea […] Read more
China-Australia row to reshuffle trade in bulging barley market
Gains for Canada, other exporters won't be 'magical'
Reading Time: 2 minutes Paris | Reuters — A prohibitive Chinese import tariff on Australian barley will benefit other suppliers without changing the bleak global outlook caused by large stocks and depressed beer demand, analysts and traders said. Beijing said on Monday it would apply an 80.5 per cent tariff on Australian barley imports for the next five years, […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Barley prices strong
Jury still out on impact of China-Australia trade spat
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Feed grain prices across the Prairies have been stronger during the week ended Thursday, buoyed by rainy conditions in southern Alberta coupled with steady demand. “To fill the gaps, prices have had to go up,” said Allen Pirness of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge. Prices for feed barley went up by about $5 […] Read more
President’s cattle call finds expected marks in U.S.
Trump suggests killing trade pacts with unnamed cattle-exporting nations
Reading Time: 3 minutes U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks Tuesday about imports of live cattle into the United States resonated predictably among that country’s various cattle producer groups. At a White House event Tuesday, flanked by U.S. farm and ranch leaders and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for a multi-billion-dollar COVID-19-related farm aid announcement, Trump said he “read yesterday where […] Read more
Trump floats halt to U.S. cattle imports as pandemic hurts ranchers
'We have a lot of cattle in this country'
Reading Time: 3 minutes Washington/Chicago | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States should consider terminating trade deals under which it imports cattle as he looks to help U.S. ranchers hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. The United States imports cattle from Mexico and Canada to supplement domestic supplies at lower prices and to […] Read more
Canada, U.S. agree on extension for ban on non-essential travel
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ottawa | Reuters — Canada and the United States have agreed to extend a ban on non-essential travel between the two nations by another 30 days as part of the fight against the coronavirus, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday. U.S. and Canadian officials had said last week it was likely that the measure […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
