The Rural Voice, 1999-05, Page 57Grain Markets
$140 mt. In Ontario, local mixed
grain and barley are still trading in
the $110 to $115 mt area.
Grain marketing can be a very
interesting part of a producer's life
and of course should be profitable.
There is the ever-present big picture
of supply and demand and, of course,
worldwide economics. In Ontario, we
need to see the whole picture but we
also need to zero in on the situation
inside of the province. For instance,
the big picture showed huge corn,
wheat and soybean production in the
world with demand falling off in the
livestock feeding area. The result was
generally lower future prices. In
Ontario we knew that corn
production was about 25 million
bushels more than usage but soybean
production was down from 1997. So,
corn exports were inevitable which
resulted in good demand for Ontario
corn but at export prices. Now, just
when it appears that enough corn has
been sold for export, we have reports
that a further sale has been made to
Iran originating in Canada. What
does this mean to Ontario producers?
It means that our local basis will shift
to import levels rather quickly
because the local supply/demand
scenario has inverted.
A producer needs a plan, no matter
how simple or complex it might be.
You need to see the big picture and
use it as a starting point for your plan
and then use the local situation to fine
tune or complete your plan. There are
years when the global picture tells
you to sell, sell, sell and what
happens locally should have no
impact on your decisions. The 1998
crop year in hindsight was one in
which the crop needed to be sold
"early and after" but for those who
missed the opportunity, the situation
in Ontario is giving you another
chance. I still think that new crop
prices will recover enough to make
them more profitable than today. I
think it is time to be patient yet ready
to pull the trigger.0
Information supplied by Dave Gordon,
LAC, Inc.. Hyde Park, 519-473-9333.
AgriTech
Finding crop information in one stop
By Janice Becker
Though considerable thought may
have been given to this year's crops
throughout the winter, now with the
planting season upon us, is the time
final decisions are made.
Will we have another dry summer
like 1998 or will the rainy season just
be delayed until late May? What will
happen if the
weather stays cool
or gets hot quickly?
When trying to
answer these every-
day questions. any
source of informa-
tion regarding
appropriate prod-
ucts, weather fore-
casting or futures
markets can be
helpful in making
those choices.
One site I have
found which is extremely good for
any agricultural query is
http://canada.eharvest.com., billed as
Canada's Agrifood Directory.
Simply by going to the directory
listed at the centre of the homepage,
visitors can click on the Zink which
will take them directly to the crop of
interest. The more general link under
crop will also provide ample informa-
tion.
An added attraction is the listing
of news and updates. This provides
the latest reports regarding agricultur-
al topics such as nutrient deficiency
symptoms in wheat or the most
recent battle between Canada, the •
United States and the EU over beef.
The market link brings up a flash
page of commodity prices at the
CBOT or WCE. Though crops may
be what we are looking for today,
livestock prices are also listed.
The most interesting aspect of this
connection is the ability to hear live
radio reports from the floor of the
CBOT when USDA reports are
released.
The only stumbling block is the
need for the RealAudio plug-in. I
was already equipped with this as it is
often used for music. It is a worth-
while investment.
An archive of past radio broad-
casts dating back to March 1996 can
eharvest
a good
jumping off
point for
reports, info
On crop
issues
also be heard.
For those looking for workshop.
or seminars, eharvest's calender lists
several for the coming months.
including locations and contacts.
A quick scan shows one which
may be of interest to all agricultural-
ists. Perspectives 2000+:Agri-Fend
Trends at the Horizon of Change is
being held in Guelph in November as
part of OAC's 125th anniversary cel-
ebrations.
Back at the homepage. material on
a specific company and its products
can be located through eharvest's
search engine. Just a few of the sites
I located included Grow -mark
www.growmark. com/, Novartis
www. novartis.com/agri, Cargill
www.cargill.com and Cook's
www.cooks.on.ca.
While all sites have links to other
sites, I found Cook's homepage to be
very useful. Aside from standard
company background and connec-
tions to their branch offices, it also
provides up-to-date news and market
figures. Commodity futures and
options can be scanned as well as
weather data.
Another site to check out for crop
information is Ontario Soil and Crop
Improvement Association at
www.ontariosoilcrop.org. It covers
soil management, crop protection,
pest management and fertilizer. to
name a few.
The site has good general material,
but.I found much of it outdated.
While checking the site in late April,
I found it had not been revised since
February 4. There was too much
material on conferences or workshops
which had already passed.
• In spite of that, there are valuable
reports. The archives section offers
material dating back to the August
1997 issue of the OSCIA newsletter.
For those seeking a connection to
their local organization. there are
addresses for presidents and secre-
taries.
I welcome comments, questions or
suggestions at becker@wcl.on.ca.
Janice Becker is a computer enthusi-
ast and journalist living near Walton.
MAY 1999 53
4