(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market adjusting to various factors

Western Canadian feeder markets experienced a mixed volatile tone over the past week. Replacement cattle over 800 lbs. were $3 lower to $8 higher on average, while lighter weight categories traded $10 lower to $10 higher in comparison to week-ago levels. Larger volumes of backgrounded yearling cattle are coming on the market at this time […] Read more

Saputo’s Canadian dairy division includes brands such as Dairyland, Neilson, Nutrilait, Baxter and Armstrong. (Dave Bedard photo)

Saputo earnings up with weaker loonie

Reuters — Saputo, one of Canada’s largest dairy producers, reported higher than expected adjusted earnings on Thursday, helped by weakness in the Canadian dollar. For its fiscal third quarter, adjusted net income rose 13.5 per cent to $175.4 million, or 44 cents a share. Revenue during the quarter, which ended Dec. 31, rose 2.8 per […] Read more

(Country Guide file photo)

Lower loonie helps farmers, but only so much

CNS Canada — The slumping price of oil continues to weigh on the Canadian dollar, while at the same time providing a boost to Canadian grain prices. Out-of-country buyers tend to more attracted to Canadian grain and wheat when the loonie is low, as they can get more product for their money. However, one market […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola posts gains as loonie plunges

CNS Canada — ICE Futures Canada canola contracts advanced during the week ended Wednesday, on the back of currency action that made the commodity more desirable to international buyers. “This Canadian dollar has really helped out exports to China, Japan, Pakistan and Mexico,” said Wayne Palmer of Agri-Trend Marketing in Winnipeg. The loonie continued to […] Read more

(Country Guide file photo)

Currency analysts watch for interest rate decision

CNS Canada — The likelihood of the Bank of Canada cutting interest rates on Wednesday is already priced into the loonie, according to one analyst — but if the bank instead decides to hold rates steady, the beleaguered currency could move higher. The Canadian dollar was trading around US69 cents (US$1=C$1.45) near midday Tuesday, which […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola stuck in sideways range

CNS Canada –– ICE Futures Canada canola contracts posted small losses during the week ended Wednesday, but remained rangebound overall. That sideways activity is expected to continue over the next month or so, as large supplies and increased farmer selling, on the one side, is countered by solid end-user demand and the weaker Canadian dollar. […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola climbs despite harvest pressure

CNS Canada –– ICE Futures Canada canola contracts finished higher for the week ended Wednesday, posting gains of $9-$10 per tonne despite mounting harvest pressure and large world supplies of vegetable oil. The slumping Canadian dollar, which momentarily reached its lowest point in 11 years during the session, has been a big reason behind canola’s […] Read more


(Bruce Fritz photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Lower loonie to boost U.S. demand for sunflowers

CNS Canada — Manitoba sunflowers are looking better than they have in recent years, despite minor pest pressure, in one agronomist’s view — and a lower Canadian dollar could be useful for producers looking to sell. Sunflower prices aren’t seeing a lot of movement right now, but demand is good — and with a lower […] Read more

Klassen: Various views on the feeder cattle market

Klassen: Various views on the feeder cattle market

If you talked to three Western Canadian cattle buyers this week, you probably would receive four different views on the market. Certain auction barns were reflecting an average week-over-week decline of $3 to $5 but feature strings of cattle were back up to historical high prices. Early sales in the season are like tryouts at a […] Read more