By Brendan Wagner

North African unrest could impact Sask. grain farmers

Jan 29, 2011 | 9:35 AM

Anti-government protests in North Africa might have an impact on Prairie farmers, according to a Canadian Wheat Board market analyst.

Neil Townsend suggests the ongoing revolts in major grain-buying countries like Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia could push grain prices higher on the international market.

“In some ways, it's not like they're actually going to eat any more wheat or durum, but they're going to maybe advance their buying a little bit to make sure that it's in the pipeline to come there,” Townsend told Rawlco Radio.

“One of the logics would be, A full belly is a little less revolutionary.”

He added the political uncertainty is coupled with a perception of scarce supplies of quality grain. That's prompting some customers to advance their buying schedules, in turn providing support to the grain markets.

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“These countries with that kind of civil unrest, it tends to make them very wary of letting their wheat coverage or their wheat buying slow down,” Townsend continued. “They want to make sure that they have adequate stocks.”

The January Pool Return Outlook released Thursday by the CWB has wheat values rising between $5 and $19 per tonne, depending on class, grade and protein level. Durum is up between $3 and $17 a tonne.

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