The Rural Voice, 2002-01, Page 40Grain Markets
like this, quite often a futures month
starts trading at or near its highs.
Some of the best marketers are
already selling some grain for harvest
2002 and beyond. Producers should
realize that prices for new crop 2003
are being quoted and it might be
prudent to sell a small quantity.
I read an article the other day
about the common marketing
mistakes made by producers. One
point made was the fact that
producers do not sell in a long
enough marketing window. Many
producers wait until the crop is
harvested before selling any portion
and quite often the best sales can be
made before the crop is planted. By
spreading out selling, producers
increase the chances of capturing
good marketing opportunities.
Another point made was that
producers are most comfortable
selling when markets are stable and
stability is most common to markets
with relatively low prices.
As of this writing, I see no
fundamentals that point to higher
prices in the near future. It will take a
major drought in the U.S. to get the
attention of traders and it is too early
to look at any such phenomenon. So,
markets will likely stay flat to weak
and producers should plan to sell
some more grain before the end of
the year as well as look at forward
contracting a portion of new crop
production.
As the year draws to an end with
this last commentary of 2001, I
would like to wish my readers a safe,
happy holiday and a prosperous New
Year.O
Information supplied kv Dave Gordon,
LAC, Inc., Hyde Park, 519-473-9333.
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or write to us the good
old-fashioned way at:
The Rural Voice,
P.O. Box 429, Blyth, ON NOM 1H0
36 THE RURAL VOICE
AgriTech
Doing the research
By Janice Becker
I don't know about everyone else,
but I find cold Ontario winters the
perfect time for a little extra reading,
whether it be that book gathering dust
on the shelf or researching a subject
which has long fascinated me.
Though the grass is still visible, just
slightly tinged
with early
morning frost, at
the time of
writing, 1 am
beginning to look
for sources of
material.
Websites can
provide either
direct information
or provide
directions on
where to find what is sought.
Located through a site administered
by Agriculture and Agri -Food
Canada, Canadian Rural Partnership,
www.rural.gc.ca, provides
information not just for those directly
involved in producing agricultural
commodities, but for the surrounding
communities and their residents who
might be interested in economic
development, environmental projects,
tourism, volunteerism and services
available to rural Canadians.
Because I was checking out just
how much information could be
accessed through the site, I began by
clicking on Canadian Rural Info
Service, in the left column. It can also
be found by punching in
aceis.agr.ca/cris/.
In the directories section, surfers
can learn about subjects from farm
safety organizations to child care
programs.
The agriculture and agri-food
section provides a list and
connections to numerous associations
on the web.
While the child care link offers
information about cross-country
agencies and federal programs and
services, there are also connections to
other material of interest to rural
women. Organizations such as the
Women's Institute and WRED are
just a sample of the many choices.
Canadian Rural
Info Service
provides wide
variety of
information on
rural topics
Material on health issues such as
substance abuse to obstetric care in
rural communities is furnished and
farm safety resources pertaining to
children is detailed.
For those concerned about the
health of economic development in
rural communities, this Zink is a good
place to start for small business
entrepreneurs or those looking for
community project partners. There
are links to charitable foundations
and connections to roundtable
discussions which provide a voice for
rural residents.
The federal government
apparently takes views expressed into
consideration in determining the
impact of various initiatives on rural
communities. Information about the
Rural Lens program provides more
detail on this aspect of the site.
The environment link brings up
associations such as the Canadian
Trails to Greenways Network,
wwa.goforgreen.ca/Greenways/ind
ex.html, an interesting connection for
those involved in projects such as the
Blyth Greenway Trail.
With the amalgamation of
municipalities and the fear of lost
community spirit, volunteers can
search out supporting agencies or
resources. Just two examples include
the Ontario Trillium Foundation,
www.trilliumfoundation.org, a source
of financial aid, and Pitch -In, a
Young Peoples Press initiative,
www.pitchin.org.
Back at the Canadian Rural
Partnership home page, other funding
programs for rural undertakings are
detailed. Guidelines for the 2002
program outline the criteria for
groups to obtain up to $50,000 or 1/3
of an initiative.
In all sections, there is a link to
Pathfinders which provides assistance
in obtaining information sought.
If you still have not been able to
locate the material needed, submit an
on-line request to the library.
Responses are timely.
Contact me atjlbecker@wightman.ca
with feedback or topic suggestions.0
Janice Becker is a computer enthusiast
and journalist living near Walton, ON.
l