Insights and Stories of Phil Franz-Warkentin

Winter wheat conditions vary, generally decent

Feb. 9, 2010 at 5:49 pm CST

(Resource News International) — Conditions for winter wheat crops across Western Canada are variable, but relatively decent overall, according to industry sources. Farmers in the three Prairie provinces seeded 650,000 acres of winter wheat this past fall, according to Statistics Canada data. That compares with 1.21 million acres the previous […]

Softer ocean freight benefits grain shipping

Feb. 9, 2010 at 2:38 pm CST

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Farmers’ frustration rising over flax issues

Feb. 2, 2010 at 4:44 pm CST

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Corn, soy futures seen headed lower

Jan. 27, 2010 at 5:52 pm CST

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Canola exports moving ahead at steady pace

Jan. 26, 2010 at 2:22 pm CST

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Economic downturn slows cattle sector recovery

Jan. 26, 2010 at 1:01 am CST

(Resource News International) — The size of Canada’s cattle herd has declined steadily in recent years, and could continue to do so as the current economic downturn has thrown a wrench in the recovery process, according to an official with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. “It’s pretty clear that supplies of […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Canola seen stabilizing, but bias still down

Jan. 21, 2010 at 1:53 am CST

(Resource News International) –– Canola contracts traded on the ICE Futures Canada platform have started to stabilize in recent sessions, after dropping sharply for most of the month. According to one analyst, the recent stability could be a sign that the market was close to finding some support. However, he […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

CWB sees wheat, durum production likely down

Jan. 15, 2010 at 5:58 pm CST

(Resource News International) — Canadian farmers are expected to grow less wheat and durum in 2010-11 according to an early forecast from Bruce Burnett, director of weather and market analysis with the Canadian Wheat Board. But while production may be down, prices will depend on quality and how the crops […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Flaxseed steady, but testing slows movement

Jan. 11, 2010 at 11:42 pm CST

(Resource News International) — Flaxseed bids remain stable in Western Canada, although the extra hoops that must be jumped through to make sales to Europe are keeping business on the slow side. The discovery of trace amounts of genetically modified CDC Triffid flaxseed in some Canadian shipments to Europe this […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Cheap feed barley showing little upside

Jan. 8, 2010 at 5:10 pm CST

(Resource News International) — Cheap feed barley prices in Western Canada are unlikely to see much improvement, but the domestic market remains at a premium to the Canadian Wheat Board and should continue to provide the best opportunity for producers with barley to sell going forward. Michelle Balderson, a feed […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin