U.S. ag commodities firm Ceres Global Ag’s plans for a canola crush plant in southeastern Saskatchewan are now on indefinite hold. Minneapolis-based Ceres said Friday it’s suspending the crush project it announced in May last year and will terminate a related equipment design and supply contract, so as to reduce “project-related contract liabilities.” The proposed […] Read more

Ceres pulls plans for Saskatchewan canola crush plant
U.S. company suspends project citing higher-than-projected costs

Mid-year farm gate price hike approved for milk
Processors say incremental hike may soften impact on consumers
A request from Canada’s dairy farmer organization for an unscheduled increase in the current farm gate price for milk, to help farmers catch up with steep rises in their costs of production, has been granted. The Canadian Dairy Commission said Tuesday it will recommend that the farm gate price for milk be increased effective Sept. […] Read more

Biden signs ocean shipping bill in bid to reduce backlogs
Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday signed legislation to improve oversight of ocean shipping, which lawmakers say will help curb inflation and ease export backlogs. The bipartisan bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a 369-42 vote earlier this week. Biden said he had “promised to crack down on ocean […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle bounce back on bargain buying
July hogs touch six-day high, end lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished higher on Tuesday in a rebound from recent losses, brokers said. However, concerns about the risk of beef demand falling due to U.S. inflation continued to hang over the market, analysts said. They warn rising prices may increasingly push consumers to eat cheaper food […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybeans hit one-week low as financial markets drop
CBOT corn, wheat ease amid inflationary worries
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures hit a one-week low on Tuesday and grains declined amid pressure from weak financial markets and concerns about inflation, analysts said. A second straight day of losses in equities and jitters about the economy helped drag down soy futures, after prices for the oilseed neared a record high […] Read more

Hog sector to focus on margins in face of outside volatility
'Counter-cyclical' moves seen in markets
MarketsFarm — The hog sector has found itself caught up in the general uncertainty of many commodity and financial markets — making it more difficult than normal to predict where values could be headed. “We’re seeing a ton of volatility and it feels like we’re in a bit of transition on supply versus expectations,” said […] Read more

Dairy farmers seek mid-year increase on farmgate milk prices
CDC to seek stakeholder comment next week
The Canadian Dairy Commission will seek out feedback from industry stakeholders next week on Canadian dairy farmers’ request for a mid-year raise in farmgate milk prices. The CDC said June 2 it had received a request from Dairy Farmers of Canada for the increase “due to the current inflationary environment.” If it’s approved, and if […] Read more

India bans wheat exports as heat wave hurts crop, domestic prices soar
Ban could push global wheat prices to new peaks
Mumbai | Reuters — India banned wheat exports on Saturday days after saying it was targeting record shipments this year, as a scorching heat wave curtailed output and domestic prices hit a record high. The government said it would still allow exports backed by already issued letters of credit and to countries that request supplies […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, hogs slip on demand concerns
Inflation on U.S. retail meat a worry
Chicago | Reuters — CME Group live cattle and hog futures slumped on Friday, as investors worried about the prospect of food inflation weighing heavy on U.S. consumer meat demand as the summer grilling season gets underway, analysts said. Benchmark June lean hogs settled the day down 2.975 cents, to 104.1 cents/lb. (all figures US$). […] Read more

How widespread will interest rate fallout be?
Looking at economic history, the effects aren’t always as dramatic as you might think
Reading Time: 3 minutes Take a moment to imagine what the world and your business would look like if interest rates were at four per cent — or even six per cent — instead of two per cent. Everyone has been talking about inflation and interest rates and yield curve inversions lately, so what does it all mean? While […] Read more