Jan. 20 - Closing Markets

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-> ONTARIO PORK REPORTS:
TOTAL SALES = 19,938
FOR A = 3 DAY TOTAL OF = 69,928
THAT'S = up 751 FROM LAST WEEK.
THE AVERAGE PRICE WAS = $1.26/kilogram
THAT'S down a cent
THE U-S NATIONAL COST PRICE = $69.02 U-S, DRESSED WEIGHT
That's down 2 cents
FORWARD CONTRACT PRICE FOR May-June DELIVERY IS $153.46
WHICH IS up 6 cents
ESTIMATED SALES FOR Thursday = 31,500
AT = $1.26/kilogram

-> ON THE CHICAGO BOARD OF TRADE:

CORN FUTURES:
March down 1 and a quarter at 3.68
May down 1 and a half at 3.78 and a half

SOYBEAN FUTURES:
March down 13 and a half at 9.50
May down 13 and a half at 9.56 and a half

WHEAT FUTURES:
March down 3 at 4.97 and a half
May down 3 at 5.11 and a quarter

-> FROM DAUPHIN FEED AND SUPPLY, THE 48% SOYBEAN MEAL QUOTE, F-O-B HAMILTON = $367/tonne

-> CLOSING LOCAL GRAIN PRICES FROM SNOBELIN FARMS:
09 CROP CORN = 3.48/BU
2010 CROP CORN = 3.93/BU
2011 CROP CORN = 4.12/BU

09 CROP SOYS = 9.25/BU
2010 CROP SOYS = 8.84/BU
2011 CROP SOYS = 8.77/BU

09 CROP SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT = 3.93/BU
2010 CROP SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT = 4.34/BU
2011 CROP SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT = 4.97/BU

Perth Beef Producers Told They Need Red Meat Coalition

Over 80 beef industry stakeholders gathered in Sebringville last night for the annual meeting of the Perth County Cattlemen's Association.
The topics included the impact of government regulations on local abattoirs, the "One Voice" lobbying effort, and the need for a "cost of production risk management program".
Bill Jeffrey has served as President for three years, but announced intentions to step down.
He says changes at the farm level are desperately needed...

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Jeffrey says there needs to be a marketing strategy for all red meat because currently retailers have the control.
He says the farm organizations have to join together to form a "red meat coalition"...

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He says it's now time for producers to get an honest share of the consumer dollar.

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Jeffrey says some Perth County beef producers still think they can be free-enterprise, independent farmers but those days are gone.
Last nights annual meeting of the Perth County Cattlemen's
Association featured guest speakers, industry updates, of course a beef dinner.

Former Huron Federation President Passes

Huron County farmers have lost a leader.
Pat Down lost her battle against cancer on Monday.
She was 68.
Down is a former president of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture and a former municipal politician in Usborne Township.
Pat's husband, Bob Down, is also well-known in agricultural circles across the province.
There will be visitation for her Thursday afternoon and evening at the Haskett Funeral Home in Exeter.
Pat Down's funeral will be held on Friday at the Exeter United Church.

FCC Survey Finds Some Optimism For Agriculture

Farm Credit Canada says it's Vision Panel members have about the same level of optimism for farming they had a year ago.
The Vision Panel includes 85 hundred producers and agribusiness and agri-food operators.
The survey was done last fall.
It shows 55 per cent are optimistic about the future of agriculture, up only slightly from the 54 per cent in 2008 and 53 per cent in 2007.
The overall FCC survey guages three levels of optimism - Optimistic, Cautious and Pessimistic.
While the optimistic sector is up a bit - so is the pessimistic sector, up to 18 per cent from 16 per cent in the previous two years.
The segment that's gotten smaller is the cautious segment - dipping to 27 per cent from 2008's 30 per cent and the 31 per cent in 2007.
FCC says dairy respondents remain the most optimistic about agriculture while beef producers are significantly more likely to be pessmistic than they were in 2008.

Agris Co-Operative Issuing Cash And Shares

AGRIS Co-operative is reporting 2 point 3 million dollars in income for 2009.
President David Malott says they're declaring a cash patronage of 250 thousand dollars and will issue 250 thousand dollars worth of new shares to the co-operative's owners.
The patronage payments will be calculated based on members' purchases and grain sold.
Agris serves more than 12 hundred farmer members through 14 locations in Essex, Kent, Elgin, Middlesex and Lambton Counties.
It's a majority owner of Wheatley Elevators and a partner of Great Lakes Grain.
Three directors were re-elected at the Agris annual meeting - John Sauve from Cottam, Scott McGeachy from Chatham and Ray Simard from Maidstone.
Jim Anderson and David Sherman were elected from the Thamseville area.
The directors then re-elected president David Malott - vice-president Larry Pajot and secretary Pat Vanheule.

Farm Groups React To Mitchell's Appointment

A number of Ontario farm organisations are welcoming Carol Mitchell's move into the Agriculture portfolio.
O-F-A President Bette Jean Crews says because Mitchell represents the farming communities of Huron-Bruce she will be well versed on current issues and concerns facing modern agriculture.
N-F-U Ontario Regional Coordinator Grant Robertson says he knows the new Agriculture Minister to be a hardworking and supportive advocate of farmers.
He says the N-F-U hopes her appointment marks a positive change in direction for the provincial government.
And Ontario Cattlemen's Association President Gord Hardy says Mitchell is very well known to the O-C-A and very familiar with the agriculture sector.
Hardy says they anticipate that with her new role their relationship with Minister Mitchell will only become stronger.

N-F-U Has Concerns About Web Farm Game

The Ontario Regional Coordinator for the National Farmers Union says a web-based game based on farming could give people a skewed idea of what the industry is really like.
Grant Robertson says the Farmville game does give players an idea of some of the pressures farmers face in their operations.

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However, Robertson says Farmville gives the impression that as long as you plow your field, plant your crop and harvest it in time you'll get a guaranteed price for your work.

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The Farmville game is linked to Facebook.

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District 10 GFO Elects Director

The newly elected GFO director for District 10 says the Grain Farmers of Ontario will result in streamlined operations and a higher profile.
The GFO represents 28,000 grain producers in the province
Henry VanAnkum says the initiative for the merger came from the grassroots producers of all three commodities

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VanAnkum says speaking with a single voice will help wheat, corn and soybean growers get their message across to governments.

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District 10 includes Wellington, Bruce and Grey Counties.
District 10 delegates to the Grain Farmers of Ontario include: Jim Gowland, Ken Hooper, Les Kemper, Ken Thompson and Frederick Overwelland of Bruce County; John McLarty, Rob Mitchell, Ben Claussen, and Bert VonWesterholt of Wellington and Percy Harrison of Grey County.

New Breed Of Farmers Getting Into Agriculture?

The Leader of the provincial Green Party says there's a new breed of farmers looking to get into agriculture.
Mike Shreiner says an increasing number of young farmers are coming from an urban background.

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Shreiner says those farmers are eyeing a new brand of diversified operations - and training programs have to change to address that.

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Shreiner says Ontario also has to find ways to make it financially possible for new farmers to get into the business.