April 5 - Closing Markets

BLACKBURN AGRI-MEDIA CLOSING MARKET REPORT:
Date: 04-05-10

On the Chicago Board of Trade:

Corn Futures:
May up 1 and a quarter at 3.45 and a half
July up 1 and a half at 3.57 and a half

Soybean Futures:
May down 6 at 9.36
July down 6 at 9.45 and a quarter

Wheat Futures:
May down 1 and a quarter at 4.53 and a half
July down 1 and a quarter at 4.67 and a quarter

Oat Futures:
May down 2 and a half at 2.08
July down 2 and a half at 2.17

-> FROM DAUPHIN FEED AND SUPPLY, THE 48% SOYBEAN MEAL QUOTE, F-O-B HAMILTON = $323/tonne

-> CLOSING LOCAL GRAIN PRICES FROM SNOBELIN FARMS:

Note there's a basis change for old and new beans:

09 CROP CORN = up 1 at 3.41/BU
2010 CROP CORN = up 2 at 3.64/BU
2011 CROP CORN = up 3 at 3.89/BU

09 CROP SOYS = down 11 at 8.96/BU
2010 CROP SOYS = down 9 at 8.42/BU
2011 CROP SOYS = down 12 at 8.45/BU

09 CROP SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT = down 1 at 3.59/BU
2010 CROP SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT = down 2 at 3.82/BU
2011 CROP SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT = up 1 at 4.71/BU

(Click icon for O-C-A report)

Ontario Pork Reports:

TOTAL SALES = 26,000
THAT'S = down 324 FROM LAST WEEK.
THE AVERAGE PRICE WAS = $1.28/kilogram
THAT'S down a cent
THE U-S NATIONAL COST PRICE = $71.07 U-S, DRESSED WEIGHT
That's up 67 cents
FORWARD CONTRACT PRICE FOR July-August DELIVERY IS $155.77
ESTIMATED SALES FOR Tuesday = 17,500
AT = $1.27/kilogram

Chief Vet Says Abattoir Regs Needed To Be Stronger

Ontario's Chief Veterinarian says tougher inspection regulations and enforcement with provincial abattoirs are responding to concerns raised in a report on the industry completed several years ago.
Doctor Deb Stark says the report suggested the industry needed some stronger regulations applied consistently across the board.
But Stark also agrees there have not been any major food safety problems from provincially-licensed abattoirs.

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Some local abattoir operators argue the cost of meeting those tough new regulations will force many of them out of business.
A director with the Ontario Independent Meat Packers says he'd be disappointed if the industry did anything less than continue to improve.
Cory Van Groningen says that's why he doesn't think the inspecting authority would be doing the industry any favours if they accepted anything but the highest level of food safety.

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Huron County organic farmer Tony McQuail says there may be an alternative to forcing the smaller operators to meet the same standards as large processing plants.

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Chief veterinarian Doctor Deb Stark says the government is trying to make sure that players of any size are confident they have a quality and safe product to sell to consumers.

OASC Town Hall On Sustaining Our Farms

The Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition has set up a town meeting on sustaining our farms.
It's in Stratford tomorrow afternoon from 2 'till 5.
They've lined up a number of politicians to take part.
Federal Conservative MP Gary Schellenberger, MPP and Revenue Minister John Wilkinson and provincial Conservative Agriculture Critic Ernie Hardeman are on that list.
Also on the list are Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson and Chris White, Chair of the Rural Ontario municipal Association.
The Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition represents most of the non-supply-managed commodities in the province.
Both the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the Christian Farmers are also part of the Coalition.
Tomorrow afternoon's Town Hall meeting is at the Stratford Rotary Complex Community Hall in Stratford.

Abattoir Topic On Today's Talk Show

This morning's AM 920 Talk Show is going to include a look at the local abattoir situation in Ontario.
Guests include Ontario's Chief Veterinarian and a rerpresentative for Ontario's independent meat packers as well as a Huron County organic beef producer.
The abattoir topic will be covered in the first hour of this morning's Talk Show - starting right after the 10 o'clock newscast on AM 920 CKNX.

Grade 4 Students Target Of Huron-Perth Event

About 600 grade four students from Huron and Perth are expected to attend this week's Agriculture and Water Festival in Seaforth.
Committee co-chair Steve Bowers says the Festival gives students the chance to learn about both water and agriculture ...

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Bowers says they'll learn about the importance of water to both humans and animals ...

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Bowers says they'll also learn about water conservation.
The Agriculture and Water Festival takes place April 7th and 8th at the Seaforth Arena and Agriplex.

Push To Make ALUS Permanent, Province-Wide

Some of those involved in the Ontario ALUS Alliance are calling for it to become a permanent, province-wide program.
John Clement of the Christian Farmers Federation says the Alternative Land Use Services alliance has a clear vision.

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Clement says they're asking organisations and individuals to parner in calling for the creation of a permanent, province-wide ALUS program.
Clement says attendance at a recent workshop suggests it's getting some diverse support.

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People can express their support for the program by signing an on-line support statement on the website www.norfolkalus.com.

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Water Protection Project Funding In Huron

There is 250 thousand dollars available in Huron County this year for landowners to complete projects to improve and protect surface and groundwater.
The money comes from the County through the Huron County Clean Water Project.
It will cover up to half the cost of approved projects.
Those projects could include livestock barn eaves troughs , river and field erosion control, decommissioning unused manure storages, fencing cattle out of watercourses and decommissioning abandoned wells.
Kate Monk of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority says the program has helped complete more than 3 million dollar worth of water quality improvement work on the Huron County landscape.
For information on the program you can contact Kate Monk at the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority or Doug Hockey at the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority.

U-K Study Backs Biofuels In Food Crisis Argument

The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance is welcoming a report commissioned by the government of the United Kingdom.
The Alliance says the report concludes that biofuels were not to blame for the so-called food crisis of 2007-08.
It quotes the report as saying that biofuels made a relatively small contribution to the 2008 spike in agricultural commodity prices.
Instead, it blames speculators responding to rapidly declining global wheat stocks.
The report also says the countries which panicked and imposed export restrictions on grains drove those prices even further.
The U-K study points out that while commodity prices have fallen steeply from their peaks in 2008 biofuel demand has remained steady - arguing that suggests the casual link between biofuel demand and short-term crop prices is still relatively weak.

White Muscle Disease Advice For Cattlemen

A veterinarian from Waterloo Region is helping cattle farmers recognize the signs of white muscle disease.
Dr. Ken Metzger told the recent Southwest Beef Focus in Alvinston that it is one of the most under-diagnosed diseases in the province.
Metzger says the disease, which is often mistaken for pneumonia, is caused by low levels of selenium in the blood.
The Linwood vet says muscle weakness is the key sign.

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Metzger says he recommends that feedlot producers inject all newly-arrived eastern calves with a dose of selenium to help prevent the disease.
He says the disease is more common in calves from Ontario and Quebec.

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Metzger says even calves that have received a dose of selenium at birth can have low levels when they reach 500 to 600 pounds.
For more information on white muscle disease and its treatment, Metzger says producers should consult their vet.

Goat Industry To Share New Vision And Direction

Ontario goat producers and industry partners are gathering in Guelph this weekend to share in the new vision and direction for their industry.
It's the annual general meeting and producer day for the Ontario Goat Breeders Association.
Association president Tobin Schlegel says they've had some positive things happen in the industry in the past few months.
He says while they'll be celebrating those this weekend they'll also be looking to the future for the goat industry.
The annual general meeting and producer day is Saturday at the Holiday Inn, Guelph - Guelph Hotel and Conference Centre.