Articles by Phil Franz-Warkentin

ICE weekly outlook: Canola range-bound, awaiting harvest

By Phil Franz-Warkentin July 29, 2021

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm – ICE Futures canola contracts held within a relatively narrow range during the week ended July 28, as traders wait to get a better handle on the size of the Canadian crop. “We’re just waiting to see as we get into harvest what the crop size and crop yields look like,” said Jamie Wilton, […] Read more

ICE November 2021 canola (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, green and black lines). (Barchart)

Crops, Markets

ICE weekly outlook: Canola corrects, but trend still up

By Phil Franz-Warkentin July 21, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts posted some wide price swings over the week ended Wednesday, moving lower overall as the market backed away from nearby highs and speculative profit-taking weighed on values. “The trend is higher, but you can’t go up forever,” said trader Ken Ball of PI Financial in Winnipeg. While rains during […] Read more

Crops, Markets

Hot, dry weather creates ‘significant uncertainty,’ AAFC says

By Phil Franz-Warkentin July 20, 2021

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Supply/demand balance sheets for Canada’s major crops only saw minor adjustments in the latest update Tuesday from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, with hot and dry growing conditions leading to “significant uncertainty” on the state of the country’s 2021-22 crops. Total field crop production in the country was forecast to decrease due to a […] Read more

Crops, Markets

Net long position in canola nears lowest level of past year

By Phil Franz-Warkentin July 10, 2021

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — The managed money net long position in canola has edged down over the past few months, moving to its lowest level in nearly a year in the latest commitment of traders report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Managed money fund traders as of Tuesday were holding a net long position […] Read more

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

Crops, Markets

CBOT weekly outlook: U.S. Midwest weather in focus for soy, corn

By Phil Franz-Warkentin July 7, 2021

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Soybean and corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade have seen some wide price moves over the first trading week of July, as a surprisingly bullish acreage report at the end of June was quickly superseded by the weather. “Right now it’s weather; the weather has trumped the bullishness of the June […] Read more

Crops, Markets

Hot weather cuts into Canadian mustard crop

Price increases already noted

By Phil Franz-Warkentin July 7, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Canada is looking at another small mustard crop in 2021, which should keep prices well supported for any unpriced crop, as recent heat stress cut into yields. “That was a very rough week,” said Walter Dyck, the Alberta-based general manager with Wisconsin mustard-processor Olds Products, on the late June/early July heat wave that […] Read more

Canola south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 3, 2017. (Dave Bedard photo)

Crops, Markets

Canada’s canola acres up from earlier forecast

Wheat acres up; barley, oats, corn revised lower

By Phil Franz-Warkentin June 29, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm –– Canadian farmers seeded more canola in 2021 than originally intended, with a number of other crops also seeing adjustments higher as dry weather through the planting season allowed for a fast seeding pace. In its June estimates of principal field crop areas, released Tuesday, Statistics Canada pegged total canola planted area at 22.5 […] Read more

Crops, Markets

Prairie cash wheat: Drought sends bids higher

U.S. July wheat futures up on week

By Phil Franz-Warkentin June 26, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Mounting drought concerns in the spring wheat-growing regions of Canada and the U.S. saw Prairie cash bids post solid gains during the week ended Thursday. Average CWRS (13.5 per cent) wheat prices were up by $18-$21 per tonne, according to price quotes from a cross-section of delivery points compiled by PDQ (Price and […] Read more

MGEX July 2021 spring wheat (candlesticks) with CBOT and K.C. July 2021 winter wheats (yellow and green lines). (Barchart)

Crops, Markets

CBOT weekly outlook: MGEX wheat spread widens over winter wheats

By Phil Franz-Warkentin June 23, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Hot, dry growing conditions in key spring wheat-growing regions of the northern U.S. and Canadian Prairies have seen Minneapolis (MGEX) spring wheat futures widen their spread over Chicago and Kansas City winter wheat contracts over the past few weeks — with additional strength likely given the current weather forecasts. Nearby spring wheat futures, […] Read more

Crops, Markets

Feed weekly outlook: Rising costs cut into cattle profits

By Phil Franz-Warkentin June 10, 2021

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Strong demand for beef has kept fed cattle prices in Western Canada well supported, but high feed grain prices continue to cut into profits in the feeder sector, according to CanFax analyst Brian Perillat. Fed cattle prices have rallied for most of 2021, he said, “so feedlots, after losing money for two to […] Read more

Author Archives Phil Franz-Warkentin

ICE weekly outlook: Canola range-bound, awaiting harvest

ICE weekly outlook: Canola corrects, but trend still up

Hot, dry weather creates ‘significant uncertainty,’ AAFC says

Net long position in canola nears lowest level of past year

CBOT weekly outlook: U.S. Midwest weather in focus for soy, corn

Hot weather cuts into Canadian mustard crop

Canada’s canola acres up from earlier forecast

Prairie cash wheat: Drought sends bids higher

CBOT weekly outlook: MGEX wheat spread widens over winter wheats

Feed weekly outlook: Rising costs cut into cattle profits

GFM Network News

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs firm as market-ready supplies remain soft

U.S. grains: Soybeans fall on improved crop outlook, forecast

Dominican Republic to kill thousands of pigs over swine fever outbreak

Pulse weekly outlook: Dry edible beans faring well in Manitoba weather

Meatpacker Tyson Foods mandates Covid vaccines for workers

GFM Podcasts

Difficult drought discussions, lentil tariffs trimmed, canola harvest calculations

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