Insights and Stories of Phil Franz-Warkentin

Prairie farmers seek answers to the $6.5 billion question

Feb. 22, 2016 at 7:17 pm CST

CNS Canada –– The Canadian Wheat Board single desk has now been gone for 3 1/2 years, but there are still some in the Prairie farming community who would like to see it brought back. Whether that’s actually possible is a question for another time — but the data being […]

Ocean freight index bobs up from recent floor

Feb. 17, 2016 at 5:39 pm CST

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

CBOT weekly outlook: Soy, corn ‘starving for news’

Feb. 17, 2016 at 4:55 pm CST

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Prairie wheat bids drift down with U.S. futures

Feb. 16, 2016 at 5:03 pm CST

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

U.S. wheat futures could be scraping bottom

Feb. 11, 2016 at 4:09 pm CST

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

ICE weekly outlook: Canola testing longtime support

Feb. 10, 2016 at 5:17 pm CST

CNS Canada — ICE Futures Canada canola contracts moved lower during the week ended Wednesday, breaking below nearby chart support in the process. The March contract fell below the $460 per tonne level during the week for the first time in nine months, but managed to recover to settle at […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Prairie spring wheat bids slide lower

Feb. 8, 2016 at 6:17 pm CST

CNS Canada –– Cash spring wheat bids across Western Canada moved lower during the week ended Friday, as the firmer Canadian dollar and losses in U.S. wheat futures weighed on values. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat prices were down by $4-$6 per tonne over the week, according to […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

StatsCan stocks report to add piece to supply/demand puzzle

Feb. 2, 2016 at 5:48 pm CST

CNS Canada — The supply/demand balance sheets for Canada’s wheat, barley and canola crops will likely see some adjustments after Statistics Canada’s stocks report is released Thursday. The report on grain and oilseed stocks as of Dec. 31, 2015 will provide a better indication of feed usage to date, while […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Firm loonie cuts into Prairie spring wheat bids

Feb. 1, 2016 at 11:47 am CST

CNS Canada — Cash spring wheat bids across Western Canada moved lower during the week ended Friday, as continued strength in the Canadian dollar more than countered any support from advances in U.S. futures. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat prices were down by $3 to $5 per tonne […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Baltic Dry Index trolls new depths, again

Jan. 28, 2016 at 7:18 pm CST

CNS Canada — The ocean floor remains one of the few unexplored mysteries of the world — but commodity shippers are now exploring how much lower the floor can go for the cost of ocean freight. The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) was quoted at 325 points on Thursday, marking a […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin