Glacier FarmMedia — There’s beginning to be a shift within the Canadian Prairie feed market towards importing United States corn, said Darcy Haley, vice-president of Ag Value Brokers in Lethbridge.
“There’s starting to be more interest. Barley and corn prices are virtually the same price,” Haley said.
Flaking corn
He noted the cost savings come with steam flaking the corn, as that adds about 20 per cent more feed value. Even the cost of adding corn distillers dried grains is offset with the process.
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Western Canadian cash prices for spring wheat and durum were mostly higher during the week ended Jan. 27, supported by gains in the United States wheat complex.
Also heading into Western Canada is U.S. barley, Haley said.
“There has been Montana barley up here for quite a while now,” he commented. “Sometimes it’s not very much, but sometimes it’s quite a bit.”
Otherwise, the domestic feed market remains very quiet. He placed domestic barley for February delivery Lethbridge at C$260 to C$265 per tonne, March at C$270, and April-May-June at C$285.
For feed wheat, Haley said it’s virtually the same price as barley while demand for wheat “comes and goes.”
Barley exports
One bright spot for the Prairie feed market is export demand. Haley said the line elevators are competing hard with each other for barley.
The Canadian Grain Commission reported for the week ended Jan. 25, that barley exports of 1.48 million tonnes so far in 2025/26 are nearly 40 per cent higher than a year ago. Meanwhile, domestic use is down more than 13 per cent at 614,600 tonnes.
Feed prices
Prairie Ag Hotwire reported for the week ended Jan. 28 that feed barley prices were steady to lower, with Alberta remaining at C$4.50 to C$5.88 per bushel delivered. Those in Saskatchewan fell 15 cents at C$4.50 to C$4.75 bu./del. and Manitoba shed three cents at C$4.50 to C$4.61.
As for feed wheat, prices were steady to higher, with Alberta holding at C$5.85 to C$7.48 bu./del. Prices in Saskatchewan rose 13 cents at C$7 bu./del. and Manitoba bumped up a nickel at C$5.87.
Also, Prairie Ag Hotwire listed Montana barley at the equivalent of C$3.52 bu., holding steady of the week.
