Wheat in progress west of Pathlow, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2022. (Dave Bedard photo)

Feed weekly outlook: Good grain yields seen in Saskatchewan, Manitoba

MarketsFarm — Despite delays in the ongoing barley and wheat harvests across the eastern Prairies, early indications have suggested healthy amounts of grain production. “Eastern Saskatchewan and Manitoba still have a bit of harvest to go, but generally the yields are good,” Glen Loyns, general manager of JGL Commodities at Moose Jaw, Sask., said. “Quality […] Read more

MGEX December 2022 spring wheat (candlesticks) with K.C. December 2022 hard red wheat (yellow line) and CBOT December 2022 soft red wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

Prairie cash wheat: Bids move higher

U.S. wheat futures gain on week

MarketsFarm — Spring wheat bids in Western Canada strengthened during the week ended Thursday, as gains in U.S. futures and weakness in the Canadian dollar provided support. The advances came despite seasonal harvest pressure and an upward revision to Statistics Canada’s production estimate for the country’s spring wheat crop. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS, […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Prairie grain bids see surprising harvest strength

MarketsFarm — Feed grain bids in Western Canada have shown some strength in recent weeks, despite the advancing harvest. “We’ve been seeing a rally through harvest, which is an odd thing,” grain merchant Jay Janzen of CorNine Commodities at Lacombe, Alta. said. He tied the unseasonable strength to solid demand and a lack of significant […] Read more

(Thinkstock photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Putin comments raise wheat bids

MarketsFarm — Comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin brought more uncertainty to Ukrainian wheat shipments, which in turn helped raise western Canadian wheat bids for the week ended Thursday. On Wednesday at an economic forum in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, Putin said the Ukrainians were “cheating,” adding that grain shipments from the country […] Read more


Barley. (Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Feed weekly outlook: No effect seen on Alberta crops from hot, wet weather

Feed grain bids up on week in Alberta, Saskatchewan

MarketsFarm — Harvest activity in Alberta continues to progress despite wet weather during the past week, according to Mike Fleischhauer, trader for Eagle Commodities in Lethbridge. “We had some rain here about a week to 10 days ago. So, it puts some people in Alberta and Saskatchewan a little bit behind,” he said. “It’s been […] Read more

The deadline for registering to vote on the proposed merger of Alberta Barley and Alberta Wheat is Sept. 16.

Long-contemplated merger of cereal groups comes to a vote

Voting will be held online during October, plebiscite info and voting PIN should be in your mailbox soon

Reading Time: 2 minutes Cereal growers will have almost the entire month of October to say yay or nay to the proposed merger of Alberta Barley and Alberta Wheat. Those who grow both crops and have paid a checkoff in the last two years will get to cast two votes because each crop commission is required to have its […] Read more


(Thinkstock photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Bids mixed headed into long weekend

MarketsFarm — Despite projections that Canada will have a large wheat harvest this year, Western Canadian wheat bids were mixed for the week ended Thursday, largely due to a weakening Canadian dollar. Statistics Canada (StatCan) on Monday released its satellite imagery-based July principal field crop production estimates, which projected a total wheat harvest of 34.6 […] Read more

Photo: File

Feed weekly outlook: Grain prices start moving upward

New-crop barley already en route to feedlots

MarketsFarm — Hot temperatures and a lack of precipitation in recent days are helping Alberta growers make significant progress, according to Lethbridge-based Market Place Commodities’ president Jim Beusekom. “In southern Alberta, (the harvest) is doing just fine,” he said. “We had some rain last week. Some (had) more, some less. Last week limited how much […] Read more


Plant breeders and customers spoke to the Olds College Lacombe Field Day on July 27. From left to right: Lori Oatway, Olds College; Kevin Sich, Rahr Malting, and Flavio Capettini,
Olds College.

Olds researchers aim for better brew of malting barley varieties

Breeders aim for a package that keeps both the farmers and the customers happy

Reading Time: 2 minutes Plant breeders have many challenges, but malting barley breeders have an extra one. Customers sometimes like their varieties so much that they’re reluctant to change to ones that are better for farmers. “We are looking at things that are not only going to be good in production and give farmers higher yields and ultimately more […] Read more

File photo of a sunrise over an Alberta barley crop. (MNphotography/iStock/Getty Images)

Feed weekly outlook: Barley harvest begins in Alberta

Prices continue easing

MarketsFarm — The barley harvest has already started in Alberta and prices continue to ease downward, according to one trader. “Around Lethbridge, they seem to have a good portion done,” said Erin Harakal, trade manager for Agfinity Inc. at Stony Plain, Alta. “Some areas in the north are starting, as well. The Edmonton area, Red […] Read more