Reading Time: 5 minutes From time to time, Oleh visits the positions of troops on the front lines of war in east Ukraine. While there, he looks hopefully to the horizon. There, just one mile away, are his fields, shop and grain warehouse now occupied by Russian invaders. I will not write Oleh’s last name, nor will I show […] Read more
Farmers displaced by war wait to reclaim their fields
On the edge of the front lines, one producer waits, hoping to recover the farm just a mile away
Feed weekly outlook: Grain prices expected to hold firm
'The farmer doesn't seem super interested in selling'
MarketsFarm — Feed prices on the Prairies are likely to remain steady through to the new year, according to Brandon Motz of CorNine Commodities at Lacombe, Alta. “I think the markets for now are to be flat,” he said, noting there has been talk in the market of 25 trains of U.S. corn that have […] Read more
Canadian grain deliveries during October mostly higher
Among grains, flax sees largest percentage decline
MarketsFarm — Deliveries of major grains in Canada during October witnessed several gains compared to a year ago, according to the latest report from Statistics Canada (StatCan) released Thursday. All grain deliveries for October 2022 exceeded 5.43 million tonnes for a 19.3 per cent increase from the previous October. During last month, total wheat deliveries […] Read more
All in all, it wasn’t a bad crop year – and that’s welcome news
Keep an eye out for flea beetles, grasshoppers and bacterial leaf streak in the coming year
Reading Time: 4 minutes A lot of flea beetles, few diseases and pretty good yields are highlights of this growing season for three crop specialists. “In general, we’re at or above average for the five-year (yield) average and some of the 10-year averages,” said Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy research extension manager with Alberta Wheat and Alberta Barley. “All of Alberta […] Read more
These are anything but normal times in the markets, says analyst
There’s not one, but three, powerful new factors at play — war, tight supplies, and rising interest rates
Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – We live in strange times, says a veteran market analyst. “I look at these markets as bipolar in some cases,” said Mike Jubinville, senior analyst with MarketsFarm. “On one hand, the macroeconomics have potentially bearish demand implications as fears of a recessionary environment take hold. But on the other hand, we have […] Read more
Cereal producers back merger but it won’t happen overnight, say officials
Amalgamating Alberta Wheat and Alberta Barley is complicated but should be done by summer
Reading Time: 3 minutes A merged wheat and barley commission will be up and running by August after Alberta growers overwhelmingly voted to amalgamate the two groups. “August 1 would be the ideal launch date (as) July 31 is the end of our fiscal year,” said Tom Steve, general manager for both groups, which merged their leadership and administrative […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: More corn, oats in feed rations
'Very weird situation to be seeing again'
MarketsFarm — As prices for feed barley and wheat increase, more feedlots are turning to corn, according to Susanne Leclerc of Market Master Ltd. at Edmonton. “A lot of places are switching to corn. The desirability of feed barley has been coming down,” she said. “So it will be interesting to see which way the […] Read more
Feed situation is much improved this year but far from perfect
The supply levels are good but feed isn’t cheap, and most pastures need some serious moisture
Reading Time: 4 minutes Craig Lehr has been able to source the forage and feed he needs this year for Short Grass Ranches, a backgrounding feedlot he co-owns near Medicine Hat. Still, finding feed and forage for the 7,000-head feedlot, plus its 1,100-head cattle herd, was not an easy task. “The ground situation is still pretty bleak,” said Lehr, […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Grain supplies good, freight costs higher
'They don't have as many drivers as normal'
MarketsFarm — There are still sufficient supplies of feed barley and wheat to be had on the Canadian Prairies — but there are issues with getting that feed from point to point, according to Erin Harakal, senior trader at Agfinity at Stony Plain, Alta. “I do think there are enough supplies from what we have […] Read more
On-farm research sprouts fresh ideas for producers
Crop commissions are helping farmers get solid answers to questions they have on their farms
Reading Time: 3 minutes Do on-farm trials make a difference when applying research to real life? Several of the province’s crop commissions think so. Even when research results seem clear cut, things can get complicated when farmers try to apply them on the farm, says Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy research extension specialist with Alberta Wheat and Alberta Barley. Boychyn points […] Read more