Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybeans firmed on Thursday on signs of resurgent export demand but corn drifted lower in subdued trade as the market awaited key monthly reports due Friday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Wheat fell despite better-than-expected weekly export sales data. At the Chicago Board of Trade, November soybeans settled up […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soy firms modestly on export demand
Husky oil spill hits Prince Albert water supply; farmers also scrambling for alternative sources for livestock
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters – An oil leak from a Husky Energy Inc pipeline into a major Canadian river has forced a second city in the province of Saskatchewan to stop drawing drinking water, officials said on Monday, widening the impact and cost of the spill. The heavy oil and diluent leaked from Husky’s Saskatchewan Gathering System pipeline on […] Read more
Diesel prices seen staying lower
Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada –– Diesel prices in Canada are expected to stay relatively cheap this spring despite some recent strength in the crude oil market. In a normal cycle, diesel prices would usually be on the move right now, but they have been mired at their current level for the last few months, according to Tom […] Read more
Crude’s slide hampers demand for Canadian biofuel
Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — The trickle-down effect of slumping crude oil prices is being felt in the Canadian biofuel market and softening demand for corn and soybeans. Traditionally, ethanol is cheaper than gasoline, which encouraged processors to blend more than the mandated amount, according to Andrea Kent, president of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA). “When […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Equities spike drives CME live cattle limit-up
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures climbed to their three cents/lb. daily price limit on Thursday following a turnaround in crude oil prices that helped pare recent deep U.S. stock market losses. February and April live cattle closed at 130.25 and 131.175 cents, respectively. Live cattle’s trading limit will be expanded […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Corn expected to move higher, soy sideways
Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada –– Corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade have a bullish tone, according to one analyst, while soybeans are trading sideways to slightly higher. But any anticipated gains could be taken away as quickly as they come, by turbulence in outside markets. “I think there’s an opportunity to buy corn and sell […] Read more
Loonie’s boost for commodity prices likely limited in 2016
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — The Canadian dollar has been steadily depreciating through 2015, sinking to an 11-year low relative to its U.S. counterpart as the end of the year creeps closer. Even if the loonie stays weak in 2016, however, two analysts expect the upside potential it brings to agricultural commodity markets has mostly run out. […] Read more
Views mixed on impact of crude’s slip for ag markets
Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada — While just about everyone agrees the plunging price of oil will have a bearish effect on commodity prices, the size and impact of that fall seems to vary. As recently as Nov. 4, crude oil prices were $48.64 a barrel, but since then have fallen to US$37.86, as of Wednesday’s opening. Some […] Read more
Diesel prices remain high across Prairies
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — While the price of crude oil continues to decline across North American markets, diesel remains stubbornly high in Western Canada. Prices are equal to gasoline, or in some cases, exceeding them by as much as 10 cents in some Saskatchewan and Manitoba locations. “Diesel production in the West has been crimped by […] Read more
Hold on tight. The global economy is a mess
Not even Errol Anderson knows where the pieces will all fall. What’s a farmer to do?
Reading Time: 8 minutes Buckle up. Commodity markets look to be in for a wild ride. China is experiencing its first major setback since its market liberalization began. It generated 40 per cent of global economic growth last year, so this is troubling. If its engine is faltering, everyone is going to feel it. Market analyst Errol Anderson tells […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
