Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Canadian fertilizer maker Nutrien posted fourth-quarter profit above analysts’ estimates on Wednesday as potash demand rose amid rising crop prices, sending its U.S.-listed shares up in extended trade. Fertilizer producers have benefited from high U.S. crop exports, including record-large corn sales to China. With crop prices touching multi-year highs, farmers are poised to […] Read more
Nutrien beats profit expectation on strong potash sales
Mustard growers face decision time
AAFC projects more acres in 2021-22
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — For Canadian mustard seed growers, next month will be crucial in learning whether seeding predictions from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada come to fruition. Current mustard seed prices, though, seem to support a rise in the number of acres this coming crop year. Canadian farmers in 2020 grew 99,000 tonnes of mustard seed, the […] Read more
High fertilizer prices likely to climb more
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Expect fertilizer prices to resume increasing, despite having fallen back recently. Prices began their sharp rise around the middle of December and beginning of January. “They will go higher as demand goes up at seeding time,” Mike Jubinville of MarketsFarm Pro in Winnipeg said. Jubinville reported urea prices have jumped $100 per tonne […] Read more
Klassen: Lower U.S. calf crop spurs buying interest
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded steady to $2 higher; calves in the range of 550-800 lbs. were up $2-$4; and calves under 550 lbs. surged $4-$8 on average. Certain auction barns reported that grassers traded $8-$12 above week-ago levels. Colder temperatures caused some sellers to delay sales; however, there was no […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Canada’s lentils face competition
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Acreage and production of lentils in Canada are expected to mostly remain the same for the 2021-22 crop year. While strong demand during the COVID-19 pandemic has bolstered prices over the past year, increased production from competing exporters may cut into that buying interest going forward. Elyce Simpson Fraser, senior vice-president of Simpson […] Read more
Oat prices running out of upside
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Oat prices in Western Canada have shown some strength over the past year, but competition from other crops will likely lead to an acreage reduction this spring despite the firm prices, according to market participants. Ryan McKnight, from Linear Grain at Carman, Man., had seen prices for the crop rise last fall, but […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Profit-taking hits live cattle futures
CME April hogs also down off Friday's high
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures weakened on Monday on profit-taking and as the market pulled back from a one-year high reached last week, traders said. Strong demand for beef has supported cattle futures recently, and beef prices continue to rise. Choice cuts advanced $1.82, to $235.77/cwt, and select cuts climbed $2.98, to […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Buyers’ thoughts turn to April-June
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Attention on feed grains is shifting away from February-March and focusing on the April-June period, according to Erin Harakal, senior trader at Agfinity at Stony Plain, Alta. Their buyers have February-March pretty much covered, she said. Demand continues to be driven by exports to China, she added, with Prairie feedlots required to keep […] Read more
Canadian flax prices, exports going up
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — High demand and an accompanying increase in overseas exports have resulted in reduced domestic supply for Canadian flaxseed, helping drive prices for the crop to highs unseen in years. Marlene Boersch, owner of Mercantile Consulting Venture in Winnipeg, said the amount of flax from Canada going to the U.S. and European Union is […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Canola entering uncharted waters
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts climbed sharply higher in the front months during the week ended Wednesday, hitting their highest levels since 2008. The March contract settled Wednesday at $717.80 per tonne, marking the first close above the $700 per tonne level since March 2008. “Everybody is long, and everybody won’t make a profit […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
