Commodity information

[selkirk]

I thought I would start a thread up containing information about commodities. this will be general information on a variety of topics dealing with commodities.

Commodities can effect the cost of living how certain stocks behave also there is commodity trading....always fun.

my knowledge in this area of commodity trading is limited so this will just be general information. I traded commodities from 1998-1999 (mostly 1999) it seemed pretty simple. anyways 4 months of nice profits were gone along with $4000 US in about 4 days (bad days). with that learned my lesson and for now just learning more about commidities.


here is some information about how much a Saskatchewan farmer made off certain crops. this was published by the Saskatchewan agriculture and the results probably mirror other Cdn. farmers.

Lentils $94.54 per acre over variable expenses and $38.14 over total costs

Durum$42.19 per acre over variable expenses and $8.92 over total costs

Wheat $36.94 per acre over variable expenses and $14.16 over total costs

Flax $19.43 per acre over variable expenses and $19.72 over total costs

Feed $12.96 per acre over variable expenses and $38.15 over total costs

Feed Peas $3.86per acre over variable expenses and $52.49 over total costs

Canola $1.25 per acre over variable expenses and $49.95 over total costs


later will have information on Coffee and China selling grain....just in case people have trouble sleeping...

thanks
selkirk

 

[Never Caught Up]

Selkirk,

I grew up on a wheat farm and even though my father wanted me to be a farmer I chose not to. At 14.16 per acre how can a farmer who farms 3 sections (assuming it would all be in wheat which it wouldn't) make a living? That would be 1,920 acres or 27,187.20. The equipment to farm that land costs in the hundreds of thousands of dollars today. Got to be a better way to make a living.

 

[selkirk]

Never Caught Up I agree with you, some prices are below what you would get in 1980. also there is volatile price swings.
an average family farm in Canada is getting bigger, it is not uncommon to have farms 10,000 acres or bigger out west in the prairies.

Most farms have an outside source of income. So often the family have jobs to help support the farm. farmers grow more food on less land than ever before.

Canadian farmers do not get as much in subsidies as Americans and especially European farmers. However I believe the family farm should be supported to some extent. I mean many people in the US and Canada believe you can import any food needed and that is true, you will save money, however I would consider food to be extremely important to any nation. I mean we all know nothing could go wrong with importing a valuable commodity...just like oil...opec...

Also agree a modern farm would cost easily over $500,000 closer to a million in some cases. Do not see a great return.

by the way my grandparents were farmers, I never went into it, a lot of work, for very little money.

thanks
selkirk