Reading Time: < 1 minute The Baltic Dry Index fell to its lowest levels ever on Friday, which bodes well for the competitiveness of Canadian grain exports. The BDI, a gauge of global ocean freight prices, was quoted Friday at 498 points — the first time the index dipped below 500 since records began in 1985. The index was trading […] Read more
Baltic Dry Index hits record low
U.S. grains: Wheat eases off four-week high on export slump
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat eased off a four-week high on Thursday amid disappointing export sales and forecasts for more rain relief in dry U.S. growing belts, which offset concerns about adverse harvest weather in Australia and turned traders’ attention back toward large global supplies. The firmer dollar also made U.S. wheat less attractive […] Read more
Wheat quality conundrum
Changes to the marketing system make providing consistent shipments more difficult than under the days of the CWB
Reading Time: 4 minutes It was in 2012 that the first complaints began to trickle in. Buyers long accustomed to high-quality Canadian wheat started expressing disappointment in the quality of their shipments. From nearly a tonne of peas in a 25-tonne wheat shipment to lower-than-expected protein levels and grade divergences, over the next few years the first quiet questions […] Read more
Is the renewed interest in oats, barley and flax just a blip?
Acreage may be up in barley, oats and flaxseed, but that doesn’t mean there’s a long-term resurgence of interest in those crops
Reading Time: 7 minutes The trend to lower acreages of barley, oats and flaxseed in recent years has largely reflected the increased profitability in alternative grains and oilseeds, and canola in particular. As Western Canada’s darling, canola production crested at nearly 18 million tonnes in 2013, and even more is being called for with the Canola Council of Canada’s […] Read more
How Australia plans to beat Canadian farmers
A must read from Down Under for coming out on top
Reading Time: 6 minutes You have to admit that for an economic study, this one has a great title: “The Puck Stops Here!: Canada challenges Australia’s grain supply chains.” The new study is by the Australian Export Grains Innovation Center (AEGIC), and it looks into Western Canada’s export grain supply chain. In fact, it looks at our grain system […] Read more
Russia, Ukraine may cut grain crop forecasts as temperatures rise
Reading Time: 2 minutes Moscow/Kiev | Reuters — Major Black Sea wheat exporters Russia and Ukraine may cut their official 2015 grain crop forecasts as recent hot weather has raised the risks to plants and rains elsewhere have delayed the harvest and dented quality, farmers and officials said. Russia and Ukraine’s agriculture ministries have said if hot weather persists […] Read more
All crops not equal in face of weakening dollar
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada –– With the Canadian dollar falling to its weakest levels relative to its U.S. counterpart in six years, the general sentiment holds it should be good news for exporters, such as Canadian grain farmers. However, any net benefit may depend on what exactly is being exported and who is doing the buying, according […] Read more
Russia may consider grain export ban, but not yet, deputy PM says
Reading Time: < 1 minute Moscow | Reuters — Russia might consider banning grain exports altogether if informal trade restrictions already in place fail to benefit the economy as hoped, a senior minister said Monday. The bulk of Russia’s grain output is wheat, for which it is expected to be the world’s fourth-largest exporter this year. But in response to […] Read more
Prairie farmers to benefit from lower ocean freight rates
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Western Canada’s grain farmers are expected to benefit from recent lower ocean freight rates as the Baltic Dry Index (BDI), a measurement of such rates, has dropped significantly over the past couple of months. The BDI was quoted Friday at 749 points, up from a low of 709 points seen earlier in […] Read more
Russia seen adding new informal grain export curbs in 2015
Reading Time: 2 minutes Moscow | Reuters — Russia has strengthened informal curbs on grain exports since the start of the year, further complicating trading before the introduction of an export tax, a Russian grain exporters’ lobby said Tuesday in a letter to officials. Russia, expected to be the world’s fourth-largest exporter this year, hopes export curbs will cool […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
