(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Market uncertainty, election weigh on Manitoba pork sector

Volatility remains a feature, Manitoba Pork GM says

MarketsFarm — Cam Dahl, general manager of Manitoba Pork, has felt the highs and lows of the province’s pork industry over the past few months. While he expects Manitoba’s feed grain harvest to provide some relief to feed prices for pork producers, Dahl also mentioned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the African swine fever situation in […] Read more


Smoke rises from a wildfire near Wildwood, Alta., about 100 km west of Edmonton, on May 5, 2023. (Photo: Alberta Wildfire/Handout via Reuters)

Alberta farmers granted late AgriStability entry

Enrolment deadline now Sept. 29

Any Alberta producers who were considering AgriStability — but only in hindsight — for the income stabilization plan’s 2023 program year now have until Sept. 29 to apply. Ottawa and the province announced Aug. 4 that they’ve reopened the jointly-funded program, as wildfires and/or “extremely dry” growing conditions have dragged on many Alberta producers’ work […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Food sales grew but margins tightened in 2022, FCC says

Modest further growth expected this year

Food and beverages sales increased in Canada last year, even as margins hit an historic low and consumers chose Canadian less. According to the latest FCC Food and Beverage Report, released Tuesday, sales increased 11 per cent to $156 billion in 2022. These gains came largely from higher export values and strength in the grain […] Read more


CME April 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20- and 100-day moving averages (dark red and black lines) and CME lean hog index (pink line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs up as processors seek market-ready supply

Weaker corn futures support feeder cattle

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures gained on Tuesday, supported by cash prices as packers attempted to pull market-ready hogs forward to slaughter, analysts said. “Packers are clearly chasing hogs. The supply of butcher hogs is not enough to meet demand,” said Dennis Smith, commodity broker at Archer Financial. CME April […] Read more

ICE March 2022 canola (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola strength shows no signs of fading

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts started the new year on a firm footing, with little sign that the ongoing strength will end anytime soon. “Is canola expensive? Yes, but everything is expensive,” said analyst Mike Jubinville of MarketsFarm. While canola may look overpriced by some metrics, he noted the high prices were necessary to […] Read more


CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures sag on weaker cash markets

CME lean hogs decline

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended modestly lower on Tuesday on profit-taking after a two-session advance, softer cash cattle prices and weaker wholesale beef prices, traders said. CME February live cattle settled down 0.55 cent at 138.3 cents/lb. but stayed inside of Monday’s trading range (all figures US$). For feeder […] Read more



ICE January 2022 canola (candlesticks) with 20- and 50-day moving averages (yellow and green lines) and CBOT January 2022 soyoil (grey line, left column). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola’s trend line still pointed higher

MarketsFarm — The ICE Futures canola market strengthened during the week ended Wednesday, hitting fresh highs in many contract months. “The trend remains up,” analyst Mike Jubinville of MarketsFarm Pro said. “The price of canola needs to be put at a level that discourages exports, while the domestic crushers actively pursue attaining as much of […] Read more

CBOT December 2021 wheat (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, brown and dark green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat firms on global supply concerns

Fertilizer risks underpin corn; soybeans weighed by harvest, firmer crush lends support

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat rose on Friday, supported by global supply concerns and an easing dollar. Corn followed wheat higher, but gains were dragged down by pressure from a lower soybean market as U.S. farmers reap better-than-expected harvests of the oilseed. The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) ended […] Read more