Pork belly futures a thing of the past Monday, October 3, 2011 The mid-July notice from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange was simple and terse."Because of a prolonged lack of trading volume and after significant discussion with industry participants, CME will be delisting Frozen Pork Bellies Futures and Options effective Monday July 18, 2011."According to Minyanville Media, which reports on commodity trading, pork belly trading, which celebrated its 50th birthday this year, was the most recognized and glamorous of the commodity trading contracts. Pork bellies, frozen in the winter when demand was low, were thawed in the summer to meet the high demand when bacon and tomato sandwiches were peaking. The seasonal demand produced a need to hedge against higher prices. A single contract consisted of 40,000 pounds of frozen trimmed bellies from which bacon was made.Minyanville said trading in hog bellies declined for a number of reasons. The packing industry has switched to fixed price contracting. A few huge companies producing both pigs and bacon dominate. On top of that, demand is no longer seasonal, with hamburger chains adding bacon to make their sandwiches more palatable. BP 'This program is no ASRA' It's the pork, stupid!
Farmers Weigh-In on 2025 Leaders Debate Friday, April 25, 2025 Users on Agriville.com share their takes on the federal leaders’ debate Following the English-language federal leaders’ debate on April 17, users on Agriville.com offered an unfiltered view of how the night played out from the countryside’s perspective. The conversation revealed a... Read this article online
Tariffs, Tension, and Trade: -- Why Grains Are Outpacing Stocks Friday, April 25, 2025 By Aleah Harle, Farms.com Risk Management Intern Grappling with ongoing volatility, grain markets are demanding close attention to global demand indicators. Grain markets are currently being driven by tight supply dynamics in some cases (corn and canola), weather patterns, on and off... Read this article online
Canadian Agri Businesses Struggle under China Trade Tariffs Thursday, April 24, 2025 A recent survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) reveals that 88% of Canadian agri-businesses believe Canada should expand trade relations with countries beyond China and the U.S. due to increasing trade tensions. The data highlights the impact of China’s... Read this article online
Are you the Albertan with the $1 million lottery ticket? Thursday, April 24, 2025 Albertans are encouraged to check their lottery tickets from the April 18 Lotto Max draw. A $1 million MAXMILLIONS ticket sold outside of Calgary and Edmonton is somewhere in the province and remains unclaimed. The winning numbers are 9, 24, 30, 31, 36, 42, and 44. The person with... Read this article online
Will the markets continue volatility or become more stable this week? Thursday, April 24, 2025 . By Aleah Harle, Farms.com Risk Management Intern U.S. GDP for the 1st Quarter of 2025 is scheduled for release on April 30th. The most current report, representing 4th Quarter GDP for 2024, showed GDP increased at an annual rate of 2.4%, reflecting trends in consumer and... Read this article online