World crop briefs: Russia makes wheat pitch to Algeria

CNS Canada — Russia is attempting to crack Algerian wheat markets open, according to reports from Bloomberg news agency. Russia recently hosted a tour of Algerian officials and plans to send a trial shipment of wheat to Algeria soon, the agricultural agency Rosselkhoznadzor told Bloomberg. Russian wheat exports to Algeria have previously been limited because […] Read more

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CBOT weekly outlook: USDA reports not expected to shake up markets

CNS Canada — Corn, soybean and wheat futures in the U.S. are awaiting the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports, but traders aren’t expecting the reports to much of an effect on prices. USDA releases its quarterly grain stocks and small grains summary reports on Friday. “It basically wraps up the 2017-18 crop year […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle market holding value

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were steady to as much as $4 higher while calf values traded within $5 on either side of unchanged. Current feedlot margins are hovering around break-even, but profitability will improve during October and November, given the recent strength in the deferred live cattle futures. Therefore, short-keep feeders […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Cheap corn, Prairie harvest quality weigh on prices

CNS Canada — Cheap corn imports and adverse Prairie harvest conditions should mean no shortage of feed grain in Alberta’s feedlot alley this winter — which should also keep prices under pressure going forward. “Anytime you get a ripe crop and you get snow and rain falling on it, it normally doesn’t make better quality,” […] Read more


Crop Commissions to fund wheat research

Crop Commissions to fund wheat research

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Wheat Commission and its Saskatchewan counterpart will spend $1.6 million over three years on seven wheat research projects. These include stripe rust surveillance to improve resistance in regional wheat varieties, developing a reliable method of gene editing in wheat to simplify the breeding process, and improving nitrogen use efficiency. Other research will look […] Read more

Wheat production in Germany (pictured here) is down as well as in the rest of Europe, Russia, and Australia. The summer’s price bounce is gone but the outlook for wheat prices remains favourable, say market watchers.

Wheat rally stalls at just the wrong time

Prices are off summer highs but a drop in global production sets the stage for another rally this winter

Reading Time: 3 minutes For much of this year’s hot, dry summer, Alberta wheat growers could look forward to higher prices to offset lower production. But now they can’t even count on that — at least not for the foreseeable future. “We have seen prices pulling back a little bit over the last few weeks,” FarmLink’s senior market analyst […] Read more



A new 4-P program is aimed at creating improved CPSR wheat varieties.

Partnership launches first CPSR wheat variety

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Wheat Commission and Canterra Seeds have launched a new wheat variety. AAC Crossfield, which will be available in spring, is the first variety created under their public, private, producer partnership (4-P). The high-yielding variety has short, strong straw that is well suited for high inputs and/or under irrigation and has improved milling and […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Alberta feedlots prepared for supply issues

CNS Canada — Many regions of the Prairies expect some feed shortages this year, but Alberta feedlots have plans ready to deal with those issues. Bryan Walton, CEO of the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association, said overall conditions appear decent, although producers in drier areas have silaged barley rather than wait for harvest because of lighter […] Read more