Insights and Stories of Rod Nickel

Dec. 6, 2012 at 4:04 am CST

Western Canadian prices for slaughter-ready cattle have recovered to hit the year’s high, after bottoming out this autumn when the discovery of tainted meat forced the temporary shutdown of the XL Foods beef-packing plant. Canadian government authorities allowed the XL plant at Brooks, Alta. to reopen in late October. It […]

By Rod Nickel

Nov. 29, 2012 at 5:18 am CST

PotashCorp, the world’s biggest potash producer by capacity, sees "lots of hurdles" to its plans to take over Israel Chemicals Ltd. (ICL), an executive of the Saskatchewan fertilizer company said Wednesday. "We just think the possibility of that transaction and what it can do for us in a soft market, […]

By Rod Nickel

Nov. 21, 2012 at 5:08 pm CST

U.S. wheat ended nearly flat on Wednesday as concerns about dry conditions underpinned the market, but corn and soybeans slid in choppy trading the day before the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. Trading was light ahead of the break, leaving markets vulnerable to sudden changes. "In a thin market like this you […]

By Rod Nickel

Nov. 20, 2012 at 4:17 pm CST

Chicago corn climbed to its third straight gain on Tuesday, boosted by tight cash markets and technical buying, and wheat followed on deepening concerns about dry crop conditions. Soybeans turned higher after early losses, aided by short-covering and cuts to South American crop forecasts. Tight corn cash markets, due to […]

By Rod Nickel

Nov. 16, 2012 at 7:34 pm CST

Calgary fertilizer giant Agrium expects to close its $575 million purchase of farm retail stores from grain handler Viterra in the first quarter of 2013, after Glencore completes its takeover of Viterra, Agrium CEO Mike Wilson said Wednesday. Swiss commodity firm Glencore International’s takeover of Viterra has been delayed until […]

By Rod Nickel