Reading Time: 3 minutes Is the idea of paying farmers for ‘ecological services’ finally ready for prime time? The Manitoba government is winning praise for setting up a $52-million endowment fund to create a province-wide version of a program that pays farmers for stewardship efforts such as protecting riparian areas and habitat restoration. The program will be based on […] Read more
Manitoba puts $52 million in stewardship program — should Alberta be next?
More government funds for farms providing eco-services would be welcomed here — and put to good use
Feed weekly outlook: World weather buoys barley
MarketsFarm — Canadian feed barley prices are being buoyed by a triple threat of weather circumstances both locally and abroad. Three years of dry growing conditions in Australia have tightened global feed barley supplies to the point that domestic Canadian prices have increased. Current feed barley bids are topping out at $6.25 per bushel in […] Read more
There’s now a (good) way to deal with grain bags and twine
Reading Time: 3 minutes Many landfills don’t want it and you’re not supposed to burn it — so what do you do with old grain bags and twine? That vexing question led to the creation of the Agricultural Plastics Recycling Group and, now, a $1-million, three-year pilot project that will see about 20 ag plastic recycling depots set up […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market enters summer doldrums
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to $5 lower on average. Small volumes were available last week, which distorted the price structure. Many feedlot hands will rotate holidays through July; therefore, feedlot operators don’t want to bring in fresh replacements with a skeleton staff. Recent rains across Saskatchewan and Alberta […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Prices fall with rain
Feed grain prices for Lethbridge’s feedlot alley took a tumble after parts of the Prairies received some much-needed rain. Jim Beusekom, president of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge, said barley and wheat prices recently dropped. Barley was around $285-$290 per tonne in the area, down about $10 from the week ending June 21. Wheat was […] Read more
Crop conditions creep near five-year average, soil moisture levels still a concern
Alberta Crop Report: Conditions as of June 25
Reading Time: 4 minutes Following a dry spring, most parts of the province have received at least 80 mm of precipitation over June and experienced a wetter weather pattern, with some fields receiving significantly more rain through thunderstorm activities. However, southern parts of Alberta remained dry and in need of rain. Moisture stress in the northern half of the […] Read more
Cigi, Cereals Canada agree to pursue amalgamation
The boards of the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) and Cereals Canada have agreed to pursue amalgamation by March 31, 2020. That’s if a proposal, yet to be developed, is approved by the two bodies’ member organizations, leaders Dean Dias and Cam Dahl, said Friday in separate interviews. “During the past week, both boards have […] Read more
You’ve got your feed results — now what?
Two new feed testing tools can identify potential issues and compare the value of different feeds
Reading Time: 2 minutes Two new online tools for measuring feed quality are now available. The tools (developed by the Alberta Beef, Forage and Grazing Centre) can help flag potential nutritional problems, and identify the comparative economic value of different feeds based on their quality. Feed testing can prevent ‘sneaky production problems ‘ (such as poor gains or reduced […] Read more
StatsCan: Less canola and durum, more barley and oats
MarketsFarm — Canadian farmers seeded fewer canola and durum acres than they originally intended, but more barley and oats, according to updated acreage estimates from Statistics Canada that largely came within expectations. StatsCan pegged planted Canadian canola area for 2019-20 (August to July) at 20.952 million acres, down by about 300,000 from the March survey […] Read more
Klassen: Fed cattle bounce supports yearling market
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were relatively unchanged while calf values were extremely variable. In Alberta, calf prices were holding value but in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, feeder cattle under 650 lbs. were $3 to as much as $8 lower in some cases. Recent rains in Saskatchewan have come too late and auction […] Read more