April 16 - Closing Markets

BLACKBURN AGRI-MEDIA CLOSING MARKET REPORT:
Date: 04-16-10

On the Chicago Board of Trade:

Corn Futures:
May up a half at 3.64
July up a quarter at 3.74

Soybean Futures:
May up 1 and a quarter at 9.85 and a quarter
July up 2 at 9.95

Wheat Futures:
May up 10 and a quarter at 4.90 and a half
July up 9 and a half at 5.02 and a half

Oat Futures:
May down 2 and a quarter at 2.15 and a quarter
July down 2 at 2.20

-> FROM DAUPHIN FEED AND SUPPLY, THE 48% SOYBEAN MEAL QUOTE, F-O-B HAMILTON = $358/tonne

-> CLOSING LOCAL GRAIN PRICES FROM SNOBELIN FARMS:

09 CROP CORN = up 1 at 3.59/BU
2010 CROP CORN = 3.77/BU
2011 CROP CORN = up 1 at 4.01/BU

09 CROP SOYS = up 1 at 9.45/BU
2010 CROP SOYS = up 5 at 8.76/BU
2011 CROP SOYS = up 3 at 8.83/BU

09 CROP SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT = up 11 at 3.91/BU
2010 CROP SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT = up 10 at 4.13/BU
2011 CROP SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT =up 10 at 4.99/BU

(Click icon for O-C-A Report)

-> ONTARIO PORK REPORTS:

TOTAL SALES FOR THE WEEK = 86,363
THAT'S down 3,764 FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEK.
INCLUDED WERE 76,137 CONTRACT HOGS
AND 4,016 EXPORTS.
THE ONTARIO POOL PRICE = $140.18 PER 100 KILOGRAMS
THE ONTARIO POOL PLUS PRICE = $138.83 PER 100 KILOGRAMS
FRIDAY'S PRELIMINARY U-S NATIONAL COST PRICE = $78.30
THAT'S up $1.17
FRIDAY'S OPENING FORWARD CONTRACT PRICE FOR August-September DELIVERY = $141.74
THAT'S down $2.76 FROM THURSDAY.

CFFO Dusts Off Farm Size Discussion Booklet

The Christian Farmers Federation is dusting off an old discussion booklet on the farm size issue.
Spokesman John Clement says they put the booklet together 4 years ago.
He says it seemed then to be a little ahead of the issue.
But he says it seems more timely now.

(Click icon for audio)

Clement says the document suggests the perception of large farmers as bad and small farms as good is not necessarily tied to reality.

(Click icon for full CFFO Commentary)

Bill C-474 Has Ag Supporters/Opponents

The National Farmers Union is calling second reading of Bill C-474 a major step in trying to protect farmers from the ecomic disaster that genetically modified crops can create.
N-F-U President Terry Boehm says the bill's call for an analysis of potential harm to export markets before new GM seeds are sold will not impede innovation.
He argues it will make innovators conscious that theyir work needs to benefit a broad cross-section of society - not just the company selling the product.
The bill has now been sent to the Agriculture Committee for detailed analysis and debate.

At least one group isn't happy that Bill C-474 has received second reading in Ottawa.
CropLife is the trade association representing the manufacturers, developers and distributors of pest control products and plant technology for agriculture, urban and public health settings.
Their president - Lorne Hepworth - argues the bill would move Canada away from science-based regulation.
The concern about the impact of genetically-modified products on our exports has taken on new life with the closure of a number of markets because of a trace amount of genetically modified seed in some of our grain exports to Europe.
But CropLife argues Canada should, instead, lead the way by allowing low level presence of genetically modified crops that have received regulatory approval.

And the Grain Farmers of Ontario calls the bill's second reading disappointing.
CEO Barry Senft says any move away from a science-based regulatory approach would be an open invitation to other countries to impose non-science based trade barriers on Canada's grain exports.
The G-F-O worries that the bill could end up indefinitely delaying all future approvals on the basis that there may be one country somewhere which would not accept genetically modified crops.

Ontario Pork Governance Changes Pending

Ontario Pork has taken a page from the O-F-A playbook and plans a major overhaul of it's governance structure.
Chair Wilma Jeffray says the way the board is now structured just didn't reflect the current state of the industry.

(Click icon for audio)

Jeffray says the proposed new governing structure is a big change from what pork producers have been used to.

(Click icon for audio)

The changes were approved at the recent Ontario Pork annual meeting.
They've now gone to the Farm Products Marketing Commission for it's approval.

Direct-Selling Farmers Need Great Customer Service

Farmers who sell their fresh produce directly to consumers are gearing up for another season.
With interest growing in how food is produced, more farms are tapping into the local food movement.
Bill Parks, co-owner of Parks Blueberries in Chatham-Kent says the opportunity to "buy fresh" is a key attraction.

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Besides good food, Parks says great customer service is also important because people want to have a positive experience.

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Parks discussed his farm business at a rural tourism conference held this week at Smith & Wilson Estate Wines in Cedar Springs.

Ontario Wineries Want Foodland Ontario Logo Use

The group representing over 100 of the province's wineries wants in on the Foodland Ontario program.
The Ontario Viniculture Association says a number of Ontario-grown wines can't get the Vintners Quality Alliance designation to help consumers identify them on store shelves.
The O-V-A says by allowing wines to use the Foodland Ontario designation consumers would be able to find those wines made of 100 per cent Ontario grown grapes.
The Association quotes a KPMG study which says the sale of a litre of Ontario-grown wine puts over 11 dollars into the province's economy.
On the other hand, a litre of imported wine contributes 67 cents.
They're calling on the provincial government to use the Foodland Ontario logo to idenfity their locally-grown wines.