Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle and lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) closed mostly lower on Tuesday as both markets were pressured by worries that wet weather around large parts of the country would disrupt demand for pork and beef. Above-normal rains are expected across much of the western and […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs, cattle drop as rains seen denting grilling demand
Warm, dry weather advances seeding; crop emergence in early stages
Alberta Crop Report: Conditions as of May 14, 2019
Reading Time: 3 minutes The warm dry weather has attributed to substantial seeding progress provincially. Last week’s average on all crops was slightly above 16 per cent while this week’s numbers for major crops is 42 per cent complete, which is sizably higher than the five year average of 25. Across Alberta, 72 per cent of peas are in […] Read more
Hay prices skyrocket as Prairie drought continues
MarketsFarm — Hay prices have continued to skyrocket across the Prairies as conditions remain dry enough that many hay growers won’t produce a first cut this spring. “We’ve had a tough start here,” said Darren Chapman, chair of the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association. “We had a cold, dry spring with frost, so first cut […] Read more
Australia to import first wheat in 12 years as drought bites
Sydney | Reuters — Australia will import its first shipment of wheat in more than a decade as a drought across the country’s east coast wilts supply in the world’s fourth largest exporter of the staple grain. Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources said late on Tuesday that it has approved an import permit […] Read more
No automatic renewals this year for Ontario’s RMPs
With a new option this year for coverage under Ontario’s Risk Management Program (RMP), producers won’t be able to let previous decisions ride. Agricorp, the province’s farm program delivery agency, on Thursday released full 2019 program details for the RMPs for grains/oilseeds, cattle, hogs, veal and sheep, including premium rates and updated program timelines. As […] Read more
Climate change has U.S. fund managers adjusting agriculture investments
New York | Reuters — After historic floods devastated Midwestern agricultural states this spring, some fund managers are evaluating how climate change will affect the long-term value of companies that make or sell products ranging from tractors to fertilizer. The issue is not simply the unpredictability of weather. Instead, fund managers say, they are struggling […] Read more
Mustard acres to decrease, but yield outlook strong
MarketsFarm — The most recent principal field crop acreage report from Statistics Canada predicts mustard seed area will drop from approximately 500,000 acres to 400,000 in 2019, concentrated mainly in southwestern, south-central, and west-central Saskatchewan. Although fewer acres are expected to be seeded, prime mustard-growing areas in Saskatchewan and Alberta saw precipitation in recent weeks, […] Read more
USDA won’t survey for volume of grain lost to March floods
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s statistical arm will not collect data on the volume of harvested grain lost when farms from the Dakotas to Missouri were hit by flooding in March that burst grain storage bins, a government official said on Tuesday. However, figures in USDA’s regular quarterly stocks report for […] 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
Near-normal monsoon expected in India
MarketsFarm — Monsoon rains in India are expected to be near normal in 2019, according to the first long-range forecast of the year from the India Meteorological Department. The southwest monsoon typically runs from June through September. It provides crucial moisture for the country’s agriculture sector, as it accounts for roughly 70 per cent of […] Read more