Reuters — Global grains trader Bunge on Thursday named Gregory Heckman as its chief executive officer, three months after he took the helm in an interim capacity. Heckman, a founding partner of private investment firm Flatwater Partners and the former chief executive of grains trader Gavilon Group, was appointed acting CEO in January after long-serving […] Read more
Bunge names acting chief as new CEO
Joint conference brings canola producers up to speed
MarketsFarm — The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) and the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) have given farmers an update on the current situation between Canada and China. The 38-minute joint webinar/teleconference last Thursday (April 18) featured CCC president Jim Everson and CCGA executive director Rick White. Everson made it clear China is still honouring […] Read more
StatsCan confirms smaller canola acres, more wheat
MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers intend to seed more spring wheat and less canola in 2019, according to Statistics Canada survey results released Wednesday. Additional shifts are also likely in subsequent reports, as dry conditions in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan may alter some intentions. Statistics Canada forecast canola area for 2019 at 21.3 million acres, which […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Acreage report halts canola skid
MarketsFarm –– Statistics Canada’s acreage report has provided something of a much-needed bounce for canola bids. Canola hit a record low Tuesday, with the May contract at $437.80 per tonne and the July contract at $446.10 per tonne. The primary reason for the huge drop was the price of soybeans on the Chicago Board of […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, soy drop to multimonth lows
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell to their lowest level in seven months on Wednesday and spot soybean futures hit a 5-1/2-month low on ample global supplies and dimming prospects for U.S. export business, analysts said. Wheat also declined, with Chicago Board of Trade futures hitting a one-month low while K.C. and Minneapolis […] Read more
Canadian farmers to reduce canola plantings by seven per cent
Winnipeg | Reuters — Canadian farmers intend to plant seven per cent fewer acres of canola this spring compared with a year earlier, even less than expected by analysts and traders, as a dispute with China hampers demand, a government report showed on Wednesday. China and Canada are locked in a diplomatic and trade dispute […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hog futures fall on profit-taking
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures sagged on profit-taking on Tuesday after a recent run-up to contract highs, traders said. Live cattle futures also slumped at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The most actively traded June hogs contract has pulled back about 7.5 per cent after setting a contract high on April 5 on expectations […] Read more
To store or sell canola? That is the question
As grain companies try to boost sales in other countries, growers ponder long-term storage
Reading Time: 4 minutes China’s ban on Canadian canola means that farmers have to take different strategies this year. Some are planning to store their canola on farm, while others are planning to sell. “Anything that has been ordered already, companies are honouring those canola contracts,” said Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association. “They’re pencilling […] Read more
China finds more cases of African swine fever on Hainan island
Beijing | Reuters – China has detected new cases of African swine fever in six farms across four locations in Hainan province, the agriculture ministry said on Sunday, adding to two earlier cases of the contagious disease identified in the province on Friday. The disease, which is fatal to pigs but harmless in humans, has […] Read more
Ottawa pressed to consider more options on China’s canola ban
With canola export issues still looming large, some Canadian ag industry groups want the federal government to boost its diplomatic presence on the matter. The Canola Council of Canada on Wednesday said a Canadian technical delegation “has not yet been accepted” to travel to China and address Beijing’s recent suspensions of canola imports from two […] Read more