Crops
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures fell on Friday on expectations for the harvest of both crops to expand in the heart of the Corn Belt, and on investor caution following news of U.S. President Donald Trump’s positive test for COVID-19, analysts said. Wheat futures firmed on concern about dry weather in […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, soybeans sag on harvest pressure, investor caution
CBOT December wheat closes higher
Feed weekly outlook: Bids hold firm in West
MarketsFarm — Feed grain bids in Western Canada remain firm at the beginning of October, with a lack of significant farmer selling keeping the market underpinned as harvest wraps up across the Prairies. The barley harvest is mostly complete across the Prairies, but total yields and production remain to be seen. “The market is still […] Read more
Federal irrigation pledge seen flowing mainly to Prairies
Infrastructure plan also includes promised broadband support
Prairie provinces will receive the bulk of Ottawa’s $1.5 billion commitment to support irrigation projects, according to federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday launched a three-year, $10 billion infrastructure plan aimed at five different sectors, including agriculture. The $1.5 billion is expected to result in 700,000 acres of irrigated land. […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn hits seven-month top on tightening stocks
Chicago November soybeans end flat, December wheat down
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures rose to a seven-month peak on Thursday, boosted by strong export sales and bullish government data indicating domestic stocks were smaller than expected, traders said. However, corn settled off its highs and soybean futures erased gains to end flat, under pressure from an influx of grain sales by […] Read more
Food retail order boom may ease after big quarter, Conagra says
Reuters — Conagra Brands put better-than-expected first quarter sales on Thursday down to heavy ordering by retailers worried about the durability of supply chains in the months ahead as a second wave of coronavirus cases takes hold. Shares in the foodstuffs maker dipped as much as three per cent before recovering after chief financial officer […] Read more
Bayer plans more cost cuts, impairment charges
Pandemic now expected to hit crop science wing
Berlin | Reuters — German drugs and chemical company Bayer announced plans on Wednesday for more than 1.5 billion euros (C$2.34 billion) of cost cuts as of 2024 and said it would take impairment charges on its agricultural business as it battles with low commodity prices. Bayer said that the impact of the coronavirus on […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Canola rebounds on U.S. futures support
MarketsFarm — After a week of steady losses canola prices surged back Wednesday, catching ample spillover support from the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). That support in turn was derived from two new reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The report on grain stocks as of Sept. 1 noted declines in wheat, corn […] Read more
Ginseng piling up in Canada despite Chinese demand
Travel restrictions depress new-crop sales
Winnipeg/Hong Kong | Reuters — The pandemic’s crushing effect on international travel has grounded Canadian exports of ginseng, a root widely used in Asia to treat everything from the common cold to impotency, at a time when health is top of consumers’ minds. Canada is the world’s second-largest ginseng exporter after China, with most of […] Read more
Plant-based protein maker Roquette sees short-term COVID-19 impact
Demand could accelerate second Canadian plant
Paris | Reuters — The plant-based protein market has seen a slowdown in new product launches and lower sales in restaurants and cafeterias due to COVID-19 but benefited from more people cooking at home and trying new products, French manufacturer Roquette said. The market for plant-based protein such as meat-free burgers has surged in the […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: USDA report bullish for corn, soy
MarketsFarm — Wednesday’s report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) was a bullish influence for commodities on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). USDA’s quarterly stocks report showed corn and soybean stocks were significantly lower than expected, totalling 1.995 billion bushels and 523 million bushels respectively. Corn stocks came in about 250 million bushels […] Read more