Hamburg/Paris | Reuters — Grain exporters are looking for alternative sources of wheat and corn as a Russian invasion cuts off Ukrainian supplies, with European Union producers Romania and France being used to cover some nearby loadings, traders said Friday. The conflict has rattled grain markets, with European wheat futures surging to a record high […] Read more

Grain exporters tap EU supplies as war shuts Ukraine ports

Loblaw beats estimates for quarterly revenue
Reuters — Canadian retailer Loblaw Cos. beat market estimates for quarterly revenue on Thursday, as demand for groceries and other essential items stayed strong. The pandemic-led trend of cooking at home has sustained even as COVID curbs have eased, continuing to help sales at grocery stores that benefited during last year’s lockdowns. Companies such as […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Prices steady, but changes coming
Feedlots moving to full corn rations
MarketsFarm — With feed barley and wheat supplies on the verge of running out, prices remain firm, according to Mike Fleischhauer of Eagle Commodities in Lethbridge. “They’re on the positive side of stationary,” he said, noting prices could soon change following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Thursday. “With what’s going on with Ukraine and […] Read more

Early USDA forecast points to record-large 2022 soybean crop
MarketsFarm — Farmers in the U.S. could grow a record-large soybean crop in 2022, according to early predictions from the U.S. Department of Agriculture released at their annual Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF) on Thursday. The government agency forecast soybean plantings in the country at 88 million acres, which would be up by 800,000 from the […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat limit up after Russia invades Ukraine
Soyoil futures hit all-time high on vegoil supply concerns
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures spiked by their daily trading limit on Thursday to their highest since mid-2012 and corn futures touched eight-month peaks after Russian forces attacked Ukraine, exacerbating worries over global grain supplies. Soyoil futures notched an all-time high on concerns about global vegetable oil supplies amid conflict in the major […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs sink on profit-taking
March feeder cattle drop as grains surge
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures tumbled on Thursday as profit-taking and long liquidation pressured prices following recent gains, analysts said. Lean hog futures pulled back from contract highs reached on Wednesday as traders monitored swings in the stock market after Russia invaded Ukraine. CME April hog futures sank 2.5 cents to […] Read more

Ukraine shuts ports as conflict threatens grain supplies
Moscow/Kyiv | Reuters — Ukraine’s military has suspended commercial shipping at its ports after Russian forces invaded the country, an adviser to the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff said, stoking fear of supply disruption from leading grain and oilseeds exporters. Russia earlier ordered the Azov Sea closed to the movement of commercial vessels until further […] 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

Equipment maker Buhler distances self from Ukraine invasion
A Winnipeg farm equipment manufacturer is distancing itself from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Buhler Industries, which manufactures the Versatile tractor line and Farm King equipment, is majority-owned by the Russian firm Combine Factory Rostselmash. That firm purchased an 80 per cent stake in Buhler in 2007 and boosted that to 97 per cent ownership in […] Read more

ICE weekly outlook: Canola finding plenty of support
MarketsFarm — ICE canola futures climbed to fresh contract highs during the week ended Wednesday, as activity in outside markets and canola’s own tight supply situation provided support. “Outside forces help it, but there are also things unique to the canola market that are supportive,” said David Derwin, commodities investment advisor with PI Financial in […] Read more