MarketsFarm — As planting of lentils on the Canadian Prairies has pretty much wrapped up for 2022, prices have been holding firm, according to Colin Young of Midwest Grain Ltd. at Moose Jaw. “In pulses right now, this is the naturally quiet time of the year. We’re ramping old-crop into new-crop,” Young said. “Prices are […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Lentils planted, now it’s wait-and-see
Klassen: Negative feeding margins temper strength in feeder market
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings weighing over 800 lbs. traded steady to $2 lower on average. Feeder cattle under 800 lbs. were relatively unchanged. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis at an average price of $288 delivered, down from the range of $288-$290 seven days earlier. Using a 60 […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Rains forecast for southern Alberta
MarketsFarm — The prospect of rain over drought-stricken southern Alberta, with Calgary and Lethbridge possibly seeing at least 30 millimetres from June 4 to 7, would seem to be a godsend for growers. However, recent history suggests the moisture may not matter in the long term, according to Mike Fleischhauer of Eagle Commodities Ltd. at […] Read more
Environment Canada sees cool summer for Manitoba
MarketsFarm — Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan could be in for a cooler-than-normal summer, according to the latest long-range outlook from Environment Canada. The latest seasonal forecast from the government agency, released Tuesday, calls for a 40 to 80 per cent chance of below normal temperatures from June through August across all of the agricultural regions […] Read more
More money helps, but fixing rural vet shortage a daunting task
U of Calgary vet school is doubling enrolment but also working on ways to make rural practices more attractive
Reading Time: 3 minutes The shortage of rural vets is no secret to any livestock producer, but there is fresh hope that may change in the years ahead. Flush with major new provincial funding, officials at the province’s vet school say they have a plan to address the long-standing problem. It will start with a slight increase in veterinary […] Read more
Snack maker chooses Airdrie for potato chip facility
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta agriculture is adding another notch to its economic diversification belt. Super-Pufft, one of North America’s largest makers of salty snacks for retailers and national brands, is opening a $50-million potato chip-processing facility in Airdrie. “Hopefully very soon we’ll open our state-of-the-art facility that is going to cater to Western Canada and western United States,” […] Read more
Klassen: Steady demand supports feeder cattle prices
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively unchanged. Weakness in deferred live cattle futures and uncertainty in the feed grain market tempered the upside for all weight categories of replacement cattle. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $288-$290 delivered, steady to $2 lower […] Read more
Clubroot diagnosis no longer a death sentence
The disease continues its relentless spread across Alberta — but the risk has become more manageable
Reading Time: 5 minutes John Guelly felt as though he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness when he found clubroot in his canola fields nearly 10 years ago. But in the decade since then, the Westlock-area farmer has come to view the disease as more of a chronic condition — still risky, still potentially devastating, but ultimately manageable […] Read more
Prairie cash wheat: Talk of Black Sea corridor weighs on week’s bids
MarketsFarm — The prospect of Russia allowing food shipments to leave Ukraine — albeit with a few concessions — was the key factor in declining bids for western Canadian wheat during the week ended Thursday. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko on Wednesday said his country is ready to provide a humanitarian corridor in the […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Feedlots shopping for new-crop barley
MarketsFarm — While corn imported from the U.S. was the grain of choice for Alberta feedlots for the past few months, feed barley has slowly become more in demand. Erin Harakal, trade manager for Agfinity Inc. at Stony Plain, Alta., explained that some feedlots were already having their cattle feed on grass as summer approaches. […] Read more
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