http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing Wed, 22 May 2013 01:30:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125483 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125483#comments Wed, 22 May 2013 01:26:01 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125483 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125483>Article Link</a> Ghana is ready to restructure its capital market to spur economic growth, Finance Minister Seth Terkper said. The restructuring is necessary for the Ghana to meet international standards in its securities market regulations, Seth Terkper told Ghana’s first-ever capital market conference. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=125483 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125429 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125429#comments Thu, 16 May 2013 00:58:58 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125429 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125429>Article Link</a> Agricultural commodities offer by far the worst prospects for returns in a raw materials sector which itself looks a poor rival – for now - to the potential offered by shares, Goldman Sachs said. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=125429 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125404 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125404#comments Tue, 14 May 2013 04:10:57 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125404 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125404>Article Link</a> Farmers responded to a big rise in prices in the past five years with a combination of increased planting, better husbandry and larger applications of fertiliser and pesticides. As a result, production rose, sending prices down. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=125404 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125350 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125350#comments Thu, 09 May 2013 03:23:05 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125350 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125350>Article Link</a> While child labour remains a cause for concern in coffee and cocoa production in the developing world, global buyers of these commodities are also worried about the ageing workforce. Many smallholder farmers are growing older and their offspring are abandoning rural areas, and the question is how to make commodities farming appealing to younger people. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=125350 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125270 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125270#comments Fri, 03 May 2013 03:13:10 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125270 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125270>Article Link</a> Global cotton production is estimated to fall 5% to 26.3 mn tons while acreage is expected to to fall fall 5% to 34.1 mn ha in 2012-13 season on a year-on-year basis, according to International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC). World production is forecast to fall another 6% to 24.6 mn tons in 2013-14. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=125270 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125245 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125245#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 03:18:49 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125245 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125245>Article Link</a> Cotton inventories at the end of July 2014 will be 11 percent higher than estimated last month as production gains outpace improved demand, according to an industry group. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=125245 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125202 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125202#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 01:50:59 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125202 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125202>Article Link</a> The growth of commodity futures markets in India has helped farmers in dismantling powerful trading cartels in commodities like potato and mentha oil apart from helping them in taking more broad-based decision on production, storage and marketing of farm produce, a study conducted by Tata Institute of Social Sciences in association with MCX showed. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=125202 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125137 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125137#comments Tue, 23 Apr 2013 03:17:10 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125137 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125137>Article Link</a> Morgan Stanley sounded a bullish note on commodities, even as, in agriculture, regulatory data showed hedge funds curbing negative positioning, with a large cut in bets on falling sugar prices. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=125137 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125022 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125022#comments Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:53:44 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125022 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=125022>Article Link</a> Hedge funds have taken their most bearish view on agricultural commodities on record, despite northern hemisphere weather setbacks testing expectations of sharp recoveries in output of key products this year. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=125022 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124977 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124977#comments Fri, 12 Apr 2013 04:11:07 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124977 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124977>Article Link</a> Czech agricultural and food exports should focus in particular on fourteen countries outside of the EU, and ten countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Balkans and southeast Asia have a priority, according to the Agriculture Ministry’s new pro-export initiative. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124977 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124952 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124952#comments Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:15:17 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124952 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124952>Article Link</a> The record collapse in U.S. corn exports and shrinking domestic demand are leaving more grain in silos, spurring a bear market just eight months after drought drove prices to an all-time high. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124952 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124837 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124837#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 04:05:18 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124837 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124837>Article Link</a> If you’ve ever been into horses, you know that you can spend as much money as you’ve got—and plenty more—on their care. Personally, I like draft horses; Clydesdales, in particular. But the thing about a draft horse is that it can eat a lot of food. And during the drought last year, hay costs soared. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124837 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124807 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124807#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 02:06:17 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124807 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124807>Article Link</a> Set up in 2010, the Singapore Mercantile Exchange, a pan-Asian commodity and currency derivatives exchange, is now hunting for more agricultural commodities from black pepper in Vietnam to rubber in Thailand, to become the regional centre for agriculture futures transactions. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124807 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124759 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124759#comments Wed, 27 Mar 2013 04:06:55 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124759 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124759>Article Link</a> A thoughtful new paper from researchers at the University of Illinois marks a significant step forward in research on how commodity futures prices are formed. Until recently, the academic and policy debate about futures price formation has been locked in an acrimonious and polarized standoff between market fundamentalists, who insist all price moves reflect supply and demand fundamentals, and those writers who blame speculators for every rise in food and fuel prices. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124759 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124702 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124702#comments Fri, 22 Mar 2013 04:16:28 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124702 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124702>Article Link</a> A series of experts urged broad, well-designed strategies to ensure that the higher prices, which have now lasted for a decade, are harnessed in order to achieve significant and durable reductions in poverty in the developing world. For that to happen, they said, greater attention must be paid to the needs of the globe’s 450 million smallholder farmers, and to the millions of impoverished non-farming families, often in the same countries, who suffer when food costs climb. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124702 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124701 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124701#comments Fri, 22 Mar 2013 04:15:46 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124701 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124701>Article Link</a> If there is one word to advocate for more integrated supply chains today it is horsemeat. I am glad to see more public discussion on how to address food security and other challenges for agriculture companies, but vertical integration alone cannot fully address today’s financial and operational risks. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124701 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124644 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124644#comments Tue, 19 Mar 2013 03:52:42 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124644 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124644>Article Link</a> Farm-commodity price swings are set to increase on tight supply, said Bruce Tozer, a consultant at De Novo Agricultura and former head of EMEA sales for soft and agricultural products at Credit Agricole SA. (ACA) He spoke at a commodity-industry meeting in Geneva organized by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124644 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124625 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124625#comments Mon, 18 Mar 2013 04:39:02 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124625 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124625>Article Link</a> For decades, the basic farm goods and industrial raw materials that underpin the economies of many poor countries sold at low and volatile prices on world markets. Development experts and government officials lamented that these low returns kept nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America from expanding their economies and reducing poverty. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124625 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124545 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124545#comments Tue, 12 Mar 2013 03:28:17 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124545 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124545>Article Link</a> Hedge funds turned their most bearish on agricultural commodities since the depths of the global financial crisis - but appear to have been wrong-footed in lean hogs - ramping up short bets– just ahead of a rebound in prices. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124545 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124472 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124472#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2013 03:18:11 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124472 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124472>Article Link</a> Although US soybean farmers have grown in the past five years, the industry will continue to face revenue and profit pressures from international operators, with Brazil expected to overtake the United States as the top provider of soybeans in the next five years. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124472 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124458 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124458#comments Tue, 05 Mar 2013 03:35:36 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124458 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124458>Article Link</a> Hedge funds have slowed their shift into short position in agricultural commodities, but not by much, maintaining in particular a negative stance on livestock derivatives. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124458 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124444 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124444#comments Mon, 04 Mar 2013 03:59:04 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124444 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124444>Article Link</a> An Oxfam report that accuses banks trading agricultural commodities of “speculating on hunger” is transmitting high-voltage shocks across the fund management industry. European banks are choosing either not to speculate on food prices on behalf of investors or to scrap funds tracking agricultural prices, following a scathing critique by the non-profit group’s Paris office. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124444 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124354 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124354#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:18:05 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124354 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124354>Article Link</a> Despite continued rising demand pressures from emerging markets, many natural resources still operate on a cyclical bias. For example, natural gas demand and prices generally rise in the winter as more people begin to heat their homes. Conversely, when the weather is warmer, natural gas supplies build and prices drop. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124354 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124309 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124309#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2013 01:13:39 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124309 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124309>Article Link</a> Global cotton production will exceed demand by 1.15 million metric tons in the 12 months starting Aug. 1, Cotlook Inc. said in its first forecast for next season. The surplus will be 3.54 million tons this season, Birkenhead, U.K.-based Cotlook, the publisher of a benchmark cotton index, said today in a statement. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124309 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124272 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124272#comments Tue, 19 Feb 2013 01:09:45 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124272 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124272>Article Link</a> Rabobank amplified ideas on the revival in soft commodities in the second-half of the year, ditching ideas of a flat performance by sugar futures and steepening the rebound it expects in cocoa prices. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124272 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124206 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124206#comments Fri, 15 Feb 2013 03:25:36 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124206 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124206>Article Link</a> Prices in food commodities such as corn, wheat and soybeans rose sharply in 2012 due to extreme weather events, Baring Asset Management said. The investment firm believes that these high prices will remain for the next six months, which will also enhance the investment appeal of companies providing goods and services to farmers. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124206 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124179 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124179#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2013 03:51:02 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124179 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124179>Article Link</a> Barclays is halting agricultural trading with hedge funds in a move to burnish its reputation amid a major overhaul, but will still market index-linked investment products in the sector. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124179 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124035 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124035#comments Mon, 04 Feb 2013 02:28:39 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124035 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124035>Article Link</a> The global cotton market is showing a confusing trend as the usual volatility was absent during the first five months of 2012/13 season but suddenly spiked in mid-January, according to International Cotton Advisory Committee. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124035 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124032 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124032#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2013 03:05:38 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124032 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=124032>Article Link</a> Rarely is Deutsche Bank’s press conference as colorful. But Thursday morning it was barely possible to make it past the rabble of protestors chanting songs about world food supply and rising food prices. So Deutsche had some explaining to do as to why it’s once again selling financial products based on agricultural commodities. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=124032 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123933 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123933#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2013 03:34:38 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123933 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123933>Article Link</a> While child labour remains a cause for concern in coffee and cocoa production in the developing world, global buyers of these commodities are also worried about the ageing workforce. Many smallholder farmers are growing older and their offspring are abandoning rural areas, and the question is how to make commodities farming appealing to younger people. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123933 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123880 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123880#comments Wed, 23 Jan 2013 03:57:10 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123880 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123880>Article Link</a> The public interest in an orderly approach to the nation’s business seems insufficient to prompt Congress to act in a timely fashion. The national legislature apparently needs some perverse incentive to spur it to action—either a cliff (fiscal or otherwise) to fall off, a ceiling (debt limit) to be crushed under, or a meat ax (automatic spending cuts known as sequester) hanging over pet programs. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123880 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123875 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123875#comments Tue, 22 Jan 2013 01:08:33 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123875 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123875>Article Link</a> Food costs a lot. In fact, after the pernicious drought in 2012 (the worst in 50 years), consumers around the world are faced with the very real possibility of rising food prices. I’ve seen some food industry observers speculate that higher food prices and food shortages could become the norm in 2013. At the same time, global populations continue to rise, as do the number of people in emerging market nations that are now finally able to afford better, more protein rich, diets. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123875 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123853 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123853#comments Mon, 21 Jan 2013 04:23:17 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123853 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123853>Article Link</a> Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) will continue to provide agricultural-investment products after Germany’s largest bank concluded that they’re not the cause of rising prices for farm commodities. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123853 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123837 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123837#comments Fri, 18 Jan 2013 01:53:35 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123837 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123837>Article Link</a> Grains represent agriculture investors’ better bet for most of 2013, but it is soft commodities, in particular cotton and sugar, which will end the year on the up, Macquarie said. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123837 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123816 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123816#comments Thu, 17 Jan 2013 02:29:12 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123816 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123816>Article Link</a> Agricultural commodities may recapture some of their investor appeal lost during the late-2012 sell-off, Societe Generale said, rating Kansas wheat and lean hogs as its top bets in the complex. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123816 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123753 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123753#comments Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:39:09 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123753 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123753>Article Link</a> The past year was not only eventful for the commodities market, but also remarkable because various agricultural commodities touched new highs. Considering the fundamentals, supply fears lingered largely due to poor rains in India during the first half of the monsoon, which not only reduced the sowing of kharif crops but also raised worries over the crop yield. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123753 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123730 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123730#comments Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:33:53 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123730 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123730>Article Link</a> For those who find ‘tea or coffee’ a question too far first thing in the morning, relief may soon be on hand - a combination of both. Researchers claim they have discovered the ultimate brew - a tea made from coffee leaves which is healthier than both of the drinks. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123730 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123710 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123710#comments Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:08:08 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123710 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123710>Article Link</a> As with other commodities like corn, soybeans and other classes of wheat, the spring wheat market has found prices sliding down at the end of the year heading into 2013. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123710 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123670 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123670#comments Tue, 08 Jan 2013 01:42:34 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123670 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123670>Article Link</a> Before you could even say Hallelujah about the US government meeting its Jan. 1 fiscal cliff deadline, the mainstream financial media put us on the edge again, this time, with the food price cliff. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123670 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123656 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123656#comments Tue, 08 Jan 2013 01:38:42 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123656 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123656>Article Link</a> In the global rice market, a big and surprising buyer has emerged: China. For decades, China’s booming rice production enabled it to sell far more rice than it bought. But the world’s biggest consumer of the grain has become a major importer. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123656 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123634 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123634#comments Fri, 04 Jan 2013 03:41:45 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123634 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123634>Article Link</a> Agri commodities outperformed industrial consumables with an impressive margin in 2012 due to strong fundamental support from the American continent. While the drought in Brazil and Argentina kept the global sentiments firm, the Indian government’s decision to raise the minimum support price ( MSP) of agri produce helped the price remain on a firm footing. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123634 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123603 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123603#comments Thu, 03 Jan 2013 01:04:48 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123603 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123603>Article Link</a> The worst U.S. drought since the 1930s Dust Bowl is damaging wheat crops across the world’s biggest supplier, at a time when hedge funds are the most bearish on prices in seven months. About 62 percent of the country is mired in a dry spell that the government says will last at least until March in states growing the most winter wheat. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123603 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123600 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123600#comments Wed, 02 Jan 2013 03:47:00 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123600 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123600>Article Link</a> Wheat and soybean futures edged lower on Monday, but ended the year as the best performers in a basket of commodities, including crude oil, as demand lifted prices and the worst drought in half a century crimped supplies. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123600 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123596 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123596#comments Wed, 02 Jan 2013 03:46:05 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123596 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123596>Article Link</a> Coffee prices have fallen more than 50% since 2010 which can be seen through the coffee exchange traded fund symbol: JO. This investment seeks to replicate the returns that are potentially available through an unleveraged investment in coffee futures contracts as well as the rate of interest that could be earned on cash collateral invested in specified Treasury Bills. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123596 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123565 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123565#comments Fri, 21 Dec 2012 04:18:44 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123565 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123565>Article Link</a> Changing global climate has wrought havoc on the agricultural sector during the past year. Drought in the United States has stunted the yields of many crops, while unusual weather patterns elsewhere in the world led to sharp spikes — and drops — in farm yields across Asia, Latin America and Europe. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123565 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123522 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123522#comments Thu, 20 Dec 2012 03:46:07 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123522 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123522>Article Link</a> Psychologically, Sugar prices have turned bullish for the near-term, as prices rallied off recent lows after a rather bearish surplus estimate failed to draw in short-sellers. Though current momentum is now favoring Sugar bulls, we may not see any major fresh buying by large speculators unless we can see a strong close through the 20-cent per pound level. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123522 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123520 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123520#comments Wed, 19 Dec 2012 03:45:34 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123520 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123520>Article Link</a> Chinese demand makes it hard to gauge the outlook for bulk metals such as copper and iron ore. But grains look different. Global stocks of agricultural commodities are low and the drought that hit harvests in the fall of 2012 has continued, jeopardizing the new wheat crop. With low rainfall also hitting river-borne U.S. trade routes, grain prices may well stay elevated. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123520 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123486 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123486#comments Tue, 18 Dec 2012 02:16:40 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123486 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123486>Article Link</a> A massive sell-off by speculators fuelled a decline in values of US wheat which has left the grain looking amongst the cheapest in the world, challenging Indian supplies on price. Managed money, a proxy for speculators, cut it net long position in Chicago wheat futures and options by more than 22,000 contracts, the biggest sell-down since January, regulatory data showed. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123486 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123485 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123485#comments Tue, 18 Dec 2012 02:16:25 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123485 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123485>Article Link</a> According to the Financial Times, “a mysterious white substance is being smuggled over the border from Vietnam to China in growing quantities.” Of course this substance is a staple of modern Western society and something increasingly in demand in China and other emerging markets. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123485 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123483 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123483#comments Mon, 17 Dec 2012 02:38:53 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123483 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123483>Article Link</a> The year 2012 was very exciting for the agro-commodities market. High volatility and rising trading interests resulted in improved volumes in the futures market. There were many commodities, which gave significant returns — especially during the initial eight-nine months before profit booking set in at higher levels. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123483 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123465 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123465#comments Mon, 17 Dec 2012 02:34:17 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123465 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123465>Article Link</a> It was a pretty hectic year for agricultural commodities as the summer months wreaked havoc on prices. After the United States endured the hottest 12-month span on record and an abysmal drought, a number of these staple commodities experienced big movements in price and trading volume alike. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123465 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123441 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123441#comments Fri, 14 Dec 2012 01:28:21 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123441 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123441>Article Link</a> Chicago agricultural commodity futures post a mixed performance Thursday, with corn and wheat futures down while soybeans up, as the net weekly export data dominated the trading on the day. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123441 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123377 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123377#comments Tue, 11 Dec 2012 04:41:15 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123377 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123377>Article Link</a> Three consecutive years of smaller U.S. corn harvests are driving inventories of the world’s most- consumed grain to a 39-year low and spurring Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to predict that prices will rise near record highs. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123377 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123351 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123351#comments Fri, 07 Dec 2012 04:01:13 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123351 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123351>Article Link</a> Global food prices dropped 1.5 percent in November, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) said on Thursday. The FAO’s Food Price Index, a monthly measure of changes in a basket of food commodities, moved down three points to 211 points in November, the lowest since June 2012. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123351 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123334 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123334#comments Fri, 07 Dec 2012 03:57:23 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123334 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123334>Article Link</a> Russia, last year’s third-biggest wheat exporter, is bracing for its coldest winter in 20 years, threatening a crop planted into parched soil at a time when drought is already diminishing yields from Australia to the U.S. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123334 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123312 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123312#comments Thu, 06 Dec 2012 04:02:07 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123312 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123312>Article Link</a> Goldman Sachs recommended a commodity bet including a long position in corn despite forecasting a rise in sowings of the grain to a 77-year high in 2013, while putting soybean plantings on for a record. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123312 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123288 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123288#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2012 01:23:34 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123288 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123288>Article Link</a> Global cotton output in 2013/14 may fall for the second consecutive season resulting in the smallest output in four years. .Lower cotton prices and increased attractiveness of competing crops will decrease the production of global cotton by 11% to 23.2 million tons, according to International Cotton Advisory committee (ICAC). (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123288 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123258 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123258#comments Tue, 04 Dec 2012 03:45:34 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123258 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123258>Article Link</a> Most conversations around the global economy and fiscal outlook revolve around two key subjects: money printing vs. austerity, and higher taxes/more spending vs. lower taxes/less spending. Both are hot buttons and equally important to global growth. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123258 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123231 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123231#comments Mon, 03 Dec 2012 03:40:40 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123231 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123231>Article Link</a> Monday’s weekly USDA crop ratings data showed that 33% of the US winter wheat crop was rated good/excellent, down 1% from the previous week and well below year-ago levels of 52%. Meanwhile, 26% of the crop is rated poor/very poor, up 2% from the prior week and double the year-ago level of 13%. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123231 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123229 http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123229#comments Fri, 30 Nov 2012 04:24:58 +0000 VRS http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123229 <br> <a href=http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?p=123229>Article Link</a> UN conference on trade and development (UNCTAD) says trade in futures contracts causes the most damage. The United Nations has laid the finger of blame for food price rises on trading in agricultural commodities, but says it is the trade in futures contracts – an agreement to buy at a set price sometime in the future – rather than the actual food stocks that causes the most damage. (more…)

]]> http://www.opalesque.com/Commodities_Briefing/?feed=rss2&p=123229