Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. benchmark soybean futures fell below US$13 a bushel on Thursday for the first time in a month while corn and wheat futures held near multi-year lows on downbeat weekly export sales, an expanding U.S. harvest and economic worries, analysts said. Chicago Board of Trade November soybeans settled down 26-1/4 cents […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans fall to one-month low on export woes
CBOT corn, wheat end down
ICE weekly outlook: Which way will canola go?
Basis levels have recently improved
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — As September winds down, ICE Futures canola is poised to either climb higher or fall back, according to analyst Errol Anderson, president of ProMarket Communications in Calgary. That movement will largely be determined by the direction taken by November soybeans on the Chicago Board of Trade, which currently has support at US$13 per […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Funds getting out of soybeans
Potential for U.S. government shutdown a concern
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — While corn and wheat prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) stayed fairly steady during the week ended Wednesday, soybean prices steadily declined. The November soybean contract dropped 30 cents per bushel from one week ago to close Wednesday at $13.1975/bu. (all figures US$). During the same week, December corn only lost […] Read more
FCC offers new credit line against ‘current economic environment’
Ag lender to waive loan processing fees
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farm Credit Canada’s recent outreach to specific agrifood sectors hit by unusual environmental conditions has now extended to those hit by the broader “economic environment.” The federal ag lender on Tuesday said it will offer an unsecured credit line of up to $500,000 with loan processing fees waived, “to help producers, agribusinesses and agri-food operations […] Read more
Feds lock in higher interest-free portion on cash advances
Budget boost in effect as of Monday
Reading Time: 2 minutes A further temporary increase to the interest-free chunk of cash advances available to Canadian farmers, as telegraphed in March’s federal budget, has now gone live. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau confirmed Wednesday that the interest-free limit under the Advance Payments Program (APP) for the 2023 program year is now $350,000, effective Monday (May 8). The regulatory […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle hit five-week low
Technical selling, economic worries add pressure; June hogs up
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures dropped to their lowest level in more than five weeks on Tuesday as technical selling and concerns about the U.S. economy weighed on prices, analysts said. Economic worries increased after the failure over the weekend of First Republic Bank. Wall Street stock indexes sagged ahead […] Read more
Buy or rent? Land rent-to-price ratio can help farmers decide
FCC sees current ratios on farmland as (roughly) stable
Reading Time: 4 minutes Higher interest rates don’t seem to be affecting the ratio between land values and land rental costs — at least, not yet. Farm Credit Canada’s latest analysis of farmland rental prices says they’re roughly maintaining their traditional linkage, says J.P Gervais, the organization’s chief economist. “We were curious to see whether that would bring up […] Read more
U.S. grains: Chicago soy closes lower
Brazil production, Fed in focus for soy; wheat, corn still capped by Black Sea deal extension
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Chicago soy futures reversed gains to close lower on Tuesday, pushed down by rising estimates of Brazilian production, while corn and wheat dipped as markets kept a cautious eye on an expected Federal Reserve rate hike. Wheat and corn continue to be capped by the extension of a Black Sea export corridor from […] Read more
Inflation takes a bite
Should we worry if the prices Canadians pay at the checkout influence what they think of farmers?
Reading Time: 3 minutes When a television reporter recently tweeted a photo of a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the meat department at Loblaws with a price tag of $37, the backlash was swift. The responses ranged from “eat less meat” to a less polite “let it rot on the shelf,” and they all had one thing […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat, corn rally from multi-month lows
Ukraine corridor talks eyed
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat and corn futures rose on Tuesday, rebounding from multi-month lows set last week, as Wall Street equity markets turned higher and signs of fresh grain export demand emerged, analysts said. Uncertainty about talks to extend a wartime grain export corridor from Ukraine lent support. Soybean futures posted smaller advances […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
