Squeezed supply, improved Chinese demand and the global energy transition will keep commodity prices elevated in 2024, before falling the following year, forecasted British banking group HSBC today.

Commodity prices to remain high in 2024, drop in 2025 – HSBC
Most agricultural products expected to outperform energy, industrial metals amid supply constraints, dry weather

Adjournments put off ag bills to September at earliest
Farm fuel, supply management, produce trust bills on hold
Federal private members’ bills with potential significant weight for Canada’s grain, livestock, dairy, poultry, egg, fruit and vegetable producers are now on hold until mid-September at least. Members of the House of Commons voted June 21 to adjourn until Sept. 18, while the Senate did likewise June 22, to return Sept. 19. While the two […] Read more

Carbon price exemption for farm gas clears Commons
Bill C-234 next headed to Senate
Legislative amendments that would exempt farmers’ eligible purchases of natural gas and propane from federal carbon pricing are now en route to Canada’s Senate. Bill C-234, a private member’s bill sponsored by Ben Lobb, the Conservative MP for the southern Ontario riding of Huron-Bruce, passed third reading for adoption in the House of Commons on […] Read more

Global events pressure already dicey fertilizer market
There are lots of reasons for optimism but the situation could change in a heartbeat, analysts say
Reading Time: 3 minutes Fertilizer prices dropped over winter but remain a powder keg, and even a slight spark could blow the fallout in either direction. “There’s so much geopolitical activity in the world these days, it’s hard to know what’s happening on a given day,” said Neil Blue, crops market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation. “Lately there’s […] Read more

Fuel prices may remain high beyond Russian invasion, expert says
MarketsFarm — The decision by the U.S. to halt the import of Russian petroleum products due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine created sticker shock at the pumps in North America — but an end to that invasion would not necessarily mean an end to high fuel prices. On March 15, the average price of […] Read more

Vilsack hopes fertilizer firms don’t take advantage of Ukraine crisis
Washington | Reuters — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Thursday he hoped fertilizer and agriculture supply companies affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine would not take unfair advantage of the situation, amid already-high fertilizer and crop prices. Fertilizer costs have soared due to rising demand and lower supply as record natural gas and […] Read more

Fertilizer prices to remain high for now
MarketsFarm — There are two factors to consider when it comes to fertilizer. One is the cost as it’s to remain quite expensive at least through the first quarter of 2022, according to Chris Lawson, head of fertilizers for the CRU Group. The other is its availability, said Todd Lewis, president of the Agricultural Producers […] Read more

‘Perfect storm’ causes fertilizer price spikes
'Most of us are in a "wait-and-see" position'
MarketsFarm — Fertilizer prices have increased over the past year, but could be headed even higher as a recent confluence of events has caused a shortage — the effects of which may affect producers past the New Year. “Particularly, in the last few weeks, there have been a number of supply events which have really […] Read more

Britain tells its food industry to prepare for CO2 price shock
U.K. pays fertilizer maker CF Industries to reopen plants
London | Reuters — Britain warned its food producers on Wednesday to prepare for a 400 per cent rise in carbon dioxide prices after extending emergency state support to avert a shortage of poultry and meat triggered by soaring costs of wholesale natural gas. Natural gas prices have spiked this year as economies reopened from […] Read more

U.K. meat industry warns of threat to supplies from CO2 crisis
CO2 shortage is caused by closure of fertilizer plants
London | Reuters — Some of Britain’s meat processors will run out of carbon dioxide (CO2) within five days, forcing them to halt production and impacting supplies to food retailers, the head of the industry’s lobby group warned on Monday. A jump in gas prices has forced several domestic energy suppliers out of business and […] Read more