
Drought fears, fertilizer may affect Canadian acreage estimates
MarketsFarm — Traders and analysts awaiting Statistics Canada’s first survey-based acreage report for the 2022-23 crop year on Tuesday believe competition amongst crops — as well as their dependence on fertilizer, and the possibility of another drought this summer — will be determining factors. Canola stands as the best representation of traders’ concerns. Despite reaching […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle retreat off two-month high
U.S. cattle on feed up two per cent; Chicago lean hogs end higher
Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange ended lower on Friday in a profit-taking setback from two-month highs amid worries about inflation curbing consumer demand for beef, traders said. Larger-than-expected numbers of U.S. cattle on feed announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture after the CME close could pressure futures […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soyoil surges on Indonesia export ban
Soybean, corn futures sag on profit-taking
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soyoil futures surged to all-time highs on Friday after Indonesia blocked exports of palm oil, a competing vegetable oil, but soybean and corn futures fell on profit-taking ahead of the weekend. Wheat futures ended modestly lower after a choppy session as brokers weighed tightening global grain stocks against sluggish export […] Read more

Indonesia bans palm oil exports as global food inflation spikes
Government under pressure to control cooking oil prices
Jakarta | Reuters — Indonesia, the world’s top palm oil producer, announced plans to ban exports of the most widely used vegetable oil on Friday, in a shock move that could further inflame surging global food inflation. The halting of shipments of the cooking oil and its raw material, widely used in products ranging from […] Read more

IGC tweaks old-crop numbers, makes bigger changes in new-crop
MarketsFarm — There were a few tweaks to the old-crop data in the April supply/demand report from the International Grains Council (IGC) on Thursday — but somewhat more significant numbers for its new-crop projections. For the 2021-22 crop year, the IGC bumped up total global grain production by three million tonnes at 2.287 billion tonnes, […] Read more

McDonald’s calls Icahn demands on sourcing pigs ‘unfeasible’
Investor cites company's 10-year-old pledge
Boston | Reuters — McDonald’s Corp on Thursday said Carl Icahn’s call for the fast food chain to stop buying pork from suppliers that house the animals in crates would be logistically unfeasible and prohibitively expensive. The billionaire investor, who owns roughly US$50,000 worth of McDonald’s stock, is pushing the company to change how it […] Read more

U.S. extends COVID vaccine requirements for non-citizens at land borders
U.S. agribusinesses still seeking exemptions for cross-border truckers
Washington | Reuters — The United States government said Thursday it’s extending a requirement that non-U.S. citizens crossing land or ferry terminals at the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders must be vaccinated against the coronavirus. The requirements were first adopted in November as part of reopening the United States to land crossings by foreign tourists after […] Read more

Spring planting work can kick up avian flu, feather sector warns
Three more poultry outbreaks confirmed in Canada so far this week
Spring planting work could soon start to bring unintended gifts left by wild birds from fields into farmyards, Ontario’s poultry and egg sectors warn, as more cases of avian flu are confirmed at poultry farms across the country. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday reported three additional outbreaks of H5 avian influenza in commercial […] Read more

Not warm enough yet for accurate read on Ontario winter crops
MarketsFarm –– The crop report on Wednesday from Ontario’s ministry of agriculture, food and rural affairs (OMAFRA) notes a lack of temperatures warm enough to accurately assess winter crops and/or to begin spring planting. OMAFRA determined winter wheat that was seeded on time looks healthier than what was planted later in the fall. Also, water […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: U.S. corn imports getting expensive
MarketsFarm — As barley and wheat supplies for feed remain tight, demand for corn imports from the U.S. remains strong — but a rally in corn over the last couple of weeks is putting strain on the market, according to Brandon Motz of CorNine Commodities at Lacombe, Alta. “It is definitely deterring sales and/or purchases […] Read more