Insights and Stories on Markets

Montana hog plant envisioned near Alta. border

Mar. 16, 2012 at 5:09 am CDT

Montana pork producers are taking a wait-and-see approach in regard to a new pork-processing plant at Shelby that could draw large numbers of Canadian hogs. Governor Brian Schweitzer announced in February that Chinese investors were interested in developing a facility capable of processing 800,000 pigs. But additional details are scarce. […]

Viterra opens up for bidding war

Mar. 15, 2012 at 4:46 pm CDT

By Rod Nickel Victoria Howley

Prairie shortline railways look ahead to new reality

Mar. 14, 2012 at 4:20 pm CDT

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

EU vote ends scrap with Canada, U.S. on hormones in beef

Mar. 14, 2012 at 2:45 pm CDT

By Gilbert Reilhac

Ottawa signals openness to foreign bid for Viterra

Mar. 13, 2012 at 5:42 pm CDT

By Martin de Sapinto Rod Nickel

Cargill, Glencore interested in buying Viterra: reports

Mar. 12, 2012 at 10:32 am CDT

U.S. agribusiness giant Cargill is one of the parties interested in acquiring Viterra, Canada’s biggest grain handler, the Wall Street Journal reported on its website Sunday citing people familiar with the matter. Viterra shares surged more than 20 per cent on Friday after the company said it had received expressions […]

Klassen: Feeder cattle market feels toppy

Mar. 11, 2012 at 11:15 pm CDT

Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were steady to $3 per hundredweight lower on average last week. Softer fed cattle prices, along with a stronger Canadian dollar, set a negative tone. U.S. feeder cattle prices were down $2-$4 per hundredweight at major auction barns in the southern U.S. Plains. General comments […]

By Jerry Klassen

Prairie farmland demand strong

Mar. 11, 2012 at 10:00 pm CDT

Optimism in the agricultural sector has many Prairie farmers looking to add to their land-base this spring. That strong demand, together with a lack of willing sellers, is causing land prices to continue to move higher across Western Canada, according to real estate agents specializing in farmland. "There seems to […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

BIXS funds to help ‘complete circle’ of cattle data flow

Mar. 11, 2012 at 3:20 pm CDT

Additional funding for the Beef InfoXchange System (BIXS) is expected to help cattle producers and beef packers "complete the circle" of animal and carcass data. The federal government on Thursday announced a further $3 million for BIXS during the annual meeting in Ottawa of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, which operates […]

Feds move again on “modernizing” Grain Commission

Mar. 9, 2012 at 7:47 pm CST

Regulatory makeovers for the Canadian Grain Commission are on the federal government’s radar, again. Last month the commission announced its latest proposals for "modernizing" itself and the Canada Grain Act it administers. The public has until March 23 to respond. The commission, established in 1912, is Canada’s grain industry watchdog, […]

By Allan Dawson