Farms.com Home   News

Canola Futures Feeling the Energy

Tight Canadian supplies have helped lift canola futures to near the top of a three-month trading range but more recent strength – and future market direction – may be more closely tied to the energy complex.

"There seems to be a mindset shift occurring here, and its making canola become a pure energy play," said analyst Mike Jubinville of MarketsFarm.

With crude oil, natural gas, and other energy markets seeing strength around the world, Jubinville said canola appears to be getting caught up in the updraft. As long as the bullish momentum is being maintained in the energy sector, it's hard to envision canola falling back in any sustained fashion, he added.

Rapeseed grown in Europe is a major feedstock for biodiesel production there, with rapeseed futures trading at record high levels. Jubinville expected activity in European rapeseed would be a key feature to watch in the Canadian canola market.

"(But) if we have a change in momentum in the energy sector, that will extinguish this current rally," he added.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

Why Huitlacoche (Corn Smut) is So Expensive | So Expensive

Video: Why Huitlacoche (Corn Smut) is So Expensive | So Expensive

Huitlacoche, also known as the "Mexican truffle," is an edible fungus that forms on undeveloped corn ears and sells for as much as $40 a pound. Discovered by the Aztecs, the bulbous fungus has been consumed in Mexico for centuries and has recently become an increasingly popular specialty ingredient around the world.

However, the US has dedicated significant time and money to keeping its cornfields free of what they call "corn smut" and "the devil's corn." Huitlacoche forms naturally during the rainy season, but farmers can also inject the fungus into their cornfields to harvest the valuable "black gold". So why has Huitlacoche become so popular and what exactly makes it so expensive?