AGM Blog



Vulcan logic

Posted by on Oct 13, 2021 in AGM News | 0 comments

So, the Genie is well and truly out and is currently having a party.  Wishes have been granted this week for November Liffe feed wheat at £208, Group 1 milling wheat at £250 per tonne ex farm, feed barley at £192 per tonne ex farm spot, jobs for mahouts are available spring 2022 and Captain Kirk really has gone into space! The WASDE published on Tuesday afternoon, predicted a further tightening of global grain stocks.  Pre the report, Trade expectations were for decreased global wheat stocks and increased global corn stocks.  According...

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Three Wishes

Posted by on Oct 13, 2021 in AGM News | 0 comments

Once upon a time, somewhere in East Yorkshire a farmer was cleaning out the workshop at the end of harvest.  Deep at the back of the workshop the farmer found what looked like an old oil can.  He gave it a rub to see if there was any hint as to its contents.  Much to his surprise out popped a Genie.  The Genie thanked the farmer for setting him free and offered him three wishes, which he could use over the course of the year. Having just had what appeared to be a better than average harvest the farmer thought about a wish.  Could my wheat...

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Whisky

Posted by on Aug 18, 2021 in AGM News | 0 comments

Whisky

Booming Scotch whisky consumption both in the UK and overseas has brought about an increase in the amount of UK barley required for distilling.  Currently the only varieties approved by the MAGB    (Maltsters Association of Great Britain) for distilling are spring sown.  To be suitable for distilling a variety must be ‘Nil GN’ (contain no Glycocidic Nitrile).  On farm, the sample grown must be of low nitrogen content ideally in the 1.40n – 1.60n range. For the first time in conjunction with Muntons plc we are looking for growers to...

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The Black Swan

Posted by on Jun 18, 2021 in AGM News | 0 comments

The Black Swan

The end of crop year, harvest 2020 approaches, in the UK grain trade 30th June is the last day of season 2020.  Any grain untraded at that point becomes carryover stock into season 2021 and should be added to the predicted crop yield for harvest 2021. The trading in UK harvest 2021 wheat began in earnest back on the 19thAugust 2019 when the November ’21 wheat futures appeared on the London Futures exchange. Harvest 2022 wheat began trading similarly when the November ‘22 wheat futures appeared on the London Futures Exchange on the 8thJuly...

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When the Fat Lady Sings

Posted by on May 19, 2021 in AGM News | 0 comments

When the Fat Lady Sings

This last month has proved yet again that you cannot ever beat the market. Despite all the information at our fingertips, end of season markets are very difficult to predict. A month since, the markets were factoring in spring drought in Northern Europe and the US.  Prices were firming from the March/April low of £190 for May/June collection, (how strange to be using £190/t and low in the same sentence!) and had rallied back above £200/tonne. New crop barley was £145/tonne, September wheat £180 and August OSR £415/tonne. May 7th saw new...

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All Hail the Ale

Posted by on Apr 21, 2021 in AGM News | 0 comments

All Hail the Ale

The pubs are open.  Harvest 2022 malting barley contract is now available. The restaurants open. Livestock at the market continues to trade at high levels. The public are eating and drinking like every night is Saturday night, and the shops are open as well for those who are so inclined.   Cereal farmers in Yorkshire are all drilled up winter and now spring crops. Fertiliser and agrochem is being applied, in the hope that an inch of warm rain followed by some warm nights and sunny days helps maximise the yield potential.  So, it is game...

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Pass the Baton

Posted by on Mar 26, 2021 in AGM News | 0 comments

Pass the Baton

This last month has seen some momentous changes within the Anderson family and this business. 26th February saw the passing of Martyn Anderson.  Martyn had been a part of the Yorkshire grain trade all his working life. At age 22 he left the family farm when it was sold and joined R & R Falkingham Merchants as van lad.  A trader by nature, 11 years later at the age of 33 he was Managing Director of Fishers Seeds and Grain Ltd, a position he held until the business was sold in 1989 to ABF (Associated British Foods) at which point Martyn...

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BALANCE

Posted by on Feb 10, 2021 in AGM News | 0 comments

BALANCE

Over the course of the last month several changes and strange market reactions have taken place within the grain trade. Politics, Brexit, High prices on farm, Statistics and Sentiment have all had their part to play. Starting in Russia, the proposed introduction of an increase export tariff on Russia grain exports designed in part to keep a lid on domestic Russian food inflation and keep Russian domestic grain stock up and Russian domestic prices down, initially had the opposite effect on UK and World wheat prices to that which was...

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Trading Places

Posted by on Jan 13, 2021 in AGM News | 0 comments

Trading Places

Christmas 1983, Eddie Murphy, Dan Ackroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis.  A comedic tale of commodity trading, greed and excess (Randolph and Mortimer Duke), nature versus nurture (Murphy and Ackroyd), a tart with a heart (Jamie Lee Curtis) and frozen concentrated orange juice futures. Fast forward to Christmas and New Year 2020/21 and we are in the middle of an agricultural commodities bull run the like of which we have hardly ever seen before.  The London and Paris futures exchanges are hanging onto the shirt tails and following the...

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T.C.P.

Posted by on Nov 11, 2020 in AGM News | 0 comments

T.C.P.

So, it would appear, that ‘Life’ as we know it is about to take a big gargle of TCP.  (TCP is a mild antiseptic, produced in France by Laboratoires Chemineau in Vouvray and sold in the United Kingdom by Omega Pharma. TCP was introduced in 1918. The brand name comes from its original chemical name, which was trichlorophenylmethyliodosalicyl).   Commonly used in my childhood for treating sore throats, skinned knees, bites and stings! Alternatively:  Trump. Covid. Putin.  Trump, has lost the...

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