Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets were down $2-$5 while calves dropped by $3 to as much as $8. We’re now seeing some medium-quality calves weighing around 550 lbs. sell under the psychological $200 level in central Alberta. The market is lacking demand. Feedlot inventories are running 33 per cent above the five-year […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market grinds lower
Canada’s small, high-protein malt barley crop poses challenges
MarketsFarm — The hot and dry 2021 growing season cut significantly into Canada’s barley production, with the weather also leading to higher protein levels for what was harvested. “It will be an extremely tight and difficult year for the malt processors and ultimately for the brewers as well,” said Peter Watts, managing director of the […] Read more
Feds tighten forecast for wheat carryout
MarketsFarm — Canadian wheat carryout for the 2021-22 crop year will be even tighter than earlier forecasts, according to updated supply/demand estimates from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), released Wednesday. The October report included only minor adjustments for most crops, with the most notable change from September being a 500,000-tonne reduction in projected wheat ending […] Read more
Wheat supply drop sharpest in a decade
Not only are supplies tight — so are ocean vessels for delivering to customers
Reading Time: 3 minutes It wasn’t only a bad year for growing wheat in Canada and the U.S. — poor weather in other major producers has sharply reduced the world’s exportable supplies. In a recent webinar held in conjunction with Alberta Wheat and Barley, Jade Delafraye of London-based Argus Media said the U.S. Department of Agriculture has dropped its […] Read more
Hops gaining ground here — and craft brewers couldn’t be happier
Alberta isn’t known for hops but that’s changing fast as growers master the tricky crop
Reading Time: 5 minutes It might not be the Yakima Valley — the hops capital of the world — but Alberta is no slouch when it comes to producing high-quality hops for the craft beer market. “The markets are definitely getting more prominent for Alberta hops,” said Jenelle Bjarnason, who owns Hop To It with husband Shayne. “It’s still […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market reflects softer sentiment
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $2-$4 lower; calves over 700 lbs. appeared to hold value; calves weighing less than 700 lbs. were down $3 to as much as $5. The yearling run is basically finished. Ontario buying interest was supportive in the eastern Prairie regions due to the bumper corn crop; […] Read more
The Big Surge: Elevator capacity soaring across the Prairies
The growth in the last four years has been phenomenal
Reading Time: 5 minutes The business of building grain elevators is — pardon the pun — on a runaway train. The growth has been, by any measure, phenomenal. In just the last four years, elevator companies have added 1.2 million tonnes of storage — a 16 per cent jump. And that expansion train isn’t slowing down. Late last month, […] Read more
Klassen: Demand for feeder cattle eases
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were down $3-$5; calves traded $2-$6 below week-ago levels. The market has come under pressure for three main reasons. Cattle on feed inventories in Alberta and Saskatchewan are 36 per cent above the five-year average. Many feedlots are comfortable with ownership levels. The drought caused about 150,000 […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Shortages leading to price increases
MarketsFarm — Prices for feed grains are swinging higher because of shortages, according to Mike Fleischhauer of Eagle Commodities Ltd. in Lethbridge. “One thing we are sure of is we are running out of inventory, barley for sure, and we’re 11 months away from new crop,” he said. This year’s severe drought and excessive heat […] Read more
Exports tumble as supplies simply not there
'There's very little to sell'
MarketsFarm — Cereal and oilseed exports out of Canada nosedived in August just as the 2021-22 marketing began, according to the monthly export report from the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC). At about 2.24 million tonnes, total grain exports were down 38.5 per cent overall compared to those in August 2020. “There’s very little to sell. […] Read more