CNS Canada — ICE Futures Canada canola contracts held within a narrow $5 range over the past week, lacking any significant fundamental news one way or the other as market participants look for direction. “There’s just no news in the market,” said analyst Wayne Palmer of Agri-Trend. He thought prices would eventually move higher, but […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Canola flat, awaiting spark

Higher loonie will have many impacts
MARKET WATCH: A low dollar shielded Canadian farmers from lower commodity prices but it also raised the cost of farm equipment and inputs
Reading Time: 3 minutes While you were busy growing crops and raising livestock this summer, a rising dollar has been taking aim at your profits. The growing season started with the loonie trading under the 75 U.S. cents mark — and many analysts sticking to the theory it would stay low as long as oil prices remained in the […] Read more

ICE weekly outlook: Harvest pressure set to increase
CNS Canada — The canola market will likely be tested in coming days as harvest pressure, both north and south of the border, intensifies. While futures enjoyed a bounce upward following a bearish report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday, the technical bias appears to be pointed lower. The front-month November contract at […] Read more

Farmers to deal with stronger loonie for rest of 2017
CNS Canada — Higher interest rates and a stronger Canadian dollar relative to U.S. currency is giving Canadian farmers a double whammy. According to Farm Credit Canada’s chief agricultural economist, it’s also a situation farmers will likely have to deal with for at least the remainder of the year. J.P. Gervais said he thinks farmers […] Read more

Diesel prices soften, but watching U.S. infrastructure plan
CNS Canada — Sinking prices for crude oil and a softer Canadian dollar have kept diesel prices relatively low for Canadian farmers in 2017, and they could be heading lower, as long as U.S. President Donald Trump’s infrastructure plan doesn’t get in the way. “I would probably say in Canada you’re going to see numbers […] Read more

Loonie value will determine 2017 ag outlook
FCC’s chief agricultural economist says a low Canadian dollar is expected to continue to benefit the sector
Reading Time: 2 minutes A low loonie is likely to continue to benefit Canadian farmers through 2017. That’s according to J.P. Gervais, Farm Credit Canada’s chief agricultural economist, who added that will be the continuation of a trend seen throughout 2016. “There are certainly other factors that could influence Canadian agriculture, such as the global economy, the investment landscape, […] Read more
Plentiful feed supplies weigh on feed barley prices
CNS Canada — A steady stream of fusarium-damaged wheat is flooding Alberta feedlots these days, giving ranchers a variety of choices on what they can give to their animals — but also keeping feed barley prices in check. “That has definitely been heavy on the barley,” said Allan Pirness of Marketplace Commodities in Lethbridge. That […] Read more

OPEC announcement could boost ag markets, maybe
CNS Canada — The bearish malaise that has gripped the North American agricultural market shows no sign of breaking soon, and it could take a major disruption, say such as a hike in oil prices, to lead the way higher, according to some industry watchers. “Let’s say we go to US$55 (per barrel). That would […] Read more

Loonie tanks post-Brexit, but benefits minimal for farmers
CNS Canada — The Canadian dollar slipped after Britain voted Thursday to leave the European Union, a trend which one financial analyst expects to continue in an otherwise uncertain environment. But the loonie hasn’t fallen far enough to bring support to Canadian commodity markets. “Short-term, we’re going to be dealing with the day-to-day volatility and […] Read more

ICE weekly outlook: Canola establishes range
CNS Canada –– ICE Futures Canada canola suffered small losses during the week ended Wednesday, with both the July and November contracts chopping around the $520 per tonne mark. Losses in the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) soy complex weighed on canola. However, it lagged the U.S. market while receiving support from declines in the […] Read more