(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market vulnerable to weakness

Placements higher than expected

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $3-$5 on either side of unchanged. Prices for 800-plus-lb. yearlings were firm in Manitoba but softened in western regions. Calf prices were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels. There were larger volumes of calves on offer with many auction barns holding feature sales. The increase in supplies […] Read more

Photo: File

Feed weekly outlook: Grains steady, waiting on U.S. corn imports

Barley yields might beat StatCan expectations

MarketsFarm — More feed barley is reportedly making its way into Alberta cattle rations for the time being as recently-harvested supplies are competitive with corn imports from the U.S. While nearby demand is keeping the domestic market reasonably steady, more corn will likely start making its way north over the next month. Feed barley is […] Read more


An Alberta rancher hopes that any program the government brings forward will be wide-ranging enough to accommodate the unique needs of not just the beef industry, but individual producers.

Alberta beef producers in dire need of better drought response, says chair

Meanwhile, grain and canola producers managing with crop insurance

Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta cattle producers need better business risk management (BRM) programs and they need them yesterday, says the chair of Alberta Beef Producers.  “I believe we are in a crisis,” said Brodie Haugan from his ranch about 80 kilometres south of Medicine Hat.  “We’ve seen the compounding effects of drought and severe weather. We’ve seen many […] Read more

(Geralyn Wichers photo)

Feed weekly outlook: Demand for feed grains ‘in a lull’

U.S. corn harvest a work in progress

MarketsFarm — Despite prices continuing to come down for feed grains in Western Canada, demand for them is currently at a standstill, according to Susanne Leclerc of Market Master Ltd. in Edmonton. “I think we’re in that lull time right now between corn and barley (deliveries) as the (U.S.) corn harvest is underway,” Leclerc said, […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Alberta Grains seeks nominees

Reading Time: < 1 minute The newly christened Alberta Grains, formed from a merger of the Alberta wheat and barley commissions, is seeking nominees for its first board of directors. Farmers from across the province’s six growing regions can be nominated to run for 12 open positions, two per region. Directors are an essential part of leading the organization, Alberta […] Read more

Barley. (Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Feed weekly outlook: Lack of overseas demand brings down prices

'It feels like for now, we've kind of bottomed out'

MarketsFarm — As the grain harvest wraps up in Western Canada, feed grain prices continued to move downward. However, harvest pressure was not the only reason for their declines. Evan Peterson of JGL Commodities at Moose Jaw, Sask. heard others say their crops were larger than anticipated — but there were additional factors adding pressure […] Read more



File photo of barley being loaded off the combine. (Collab Media/iStock/Getty Images)

Feed weekly outlook: Barley bids near bottom post-harvest

Feed corn values narrowing against barley

MarketsFarm — After a better-than-expected harvest across the Canadian Prairies, feed grain prices on the region either have bottomed out or soon will, according to Evan Peterson of JGL Commodities in Saskatoon. “They’ve dropped significantly in the past three to four weeks as harvest pressure kicked off,” he said, citing feed barley going into feedlot […] Read more


On the morning of Dec. 30, the nearby January canola contract apparently hit a new all-time high.  Photo: File

Tightening canola stocks projected, AAFC says

Wheat, barley, oat, pea stocks also projected lower

MarketsFarm –– Canadian canola carryout supplies for the current marketing year will likely end up tighter than earlier expectations, according to updated supply/demand balance sheets from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) that account for recent production and stocks data from Statistics Canada. Canola ending stocks for 2023-24 are now forecast to tighten to only one […] Read more

(Viterra.ca)

Canada books stronger August deliveries of most major grains

Wheat, canola up; barley, durum down

MarketsFarm — Deliveries of most major grains in Canada were higher in August than a year ago, according to Statistics Canada. The federal agency issued its monthly deliveries report on Tuesday, showing total deliveries last month came to 5.103 million tonnes, up nearly 15 per cent from the previous August. Wheat deliveries (excluding durum) tallied […] Read more