The western Canadian feeder cattle market is in price discovery mode. There was a light test of yearlings and calves this past week, with prices setting fresh 52-week highs. New-crop supplies of grass cattle are coming on the market from drier pockets of Alberta. At the same time, regular feedlot backgrounded replacements are trading at […] Read more
Klassen: Alberta yearling market makes fresh 52-week high
Alberta crops improve tremendously over last year
Crops in Alberta remain in good shape as the latest crop report noted all crops across the province are 72 per cent good to excellent. That’s a huge improvement compared to this time last year when drought pushed crops down to 20 per cent good to excellent. Rain, especially in June proved to be very […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market experiences calm before upcoming storm
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $2-$4 on either side of unchanged. Once again, overall volumes were limited, with small strings and singles moving through auction barns. The quality was quite variable and offbeat stragglers were quite common. Buyers incorporate a risk discount on these cattle; therefore, prices do not represent […] Read more
Prairie cash wheat: Bids mixed to lower
U.S. wheat futures up on week
MarketsFarm — While wheat futures on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) were higher after hitting low points, bids for Western Canadian wheat were mixed to lower for the week ended Thursday. The Canadian dollar gained ground against a weakening U.S. greenback, moving up by more than one U.S. cent. The loonie spent the week […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: New-crop supply outlook ‘significantly better’ as prices drop
MarketsFarm — Prices for feed barley and wheat in Western Canada are still higher than this time last year, but if large declines in those prices are any indication, the 2022 harvest is set to be more typical than that of 2021. The high-delivered bid for Saskatchewan feed barley is $8 per bushel, $1 lower […] Read more
Klassen: Tighter fundamentals support feeder complex
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were steady to $2 higher on average while calf markets were up $2-$4. There was an increase in activity over the past week, although many auction barns remain in holiday mode. Major feedlot operators in southern Alberta were extremely aggressive on yearlings fresh off grass and this […] Read more
Take your pick — there’s a forecast for everyone
Here are six forecasts for July and August, and they are all over the (weather) map
Reading Time: 3 minutes June seemed to go by in a flash. We are now halfway through 2022, and depending on where you live, it has been a very interesting six months. We will look back and see how June weather played out across the Prairies, and then look ahead to see what forecasters are calling for during July […] Read more
Prairie cash wheat: Bids trend lower with U.S. futures
MarketsFarm — Spring wheat bids in Western Canada moved lower during the week ended Friday, as losses in U.S. futures more than countered the supportive influence of the weakening Canadian dollar. Seasonal harvest pressure contributed to the declines, as the U.S. winter wheat harvest progressed northward. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS, 13.5 per cent […] Read more
Drought conditions remain in Alberta, Saskatchewan
MarketsFarm — After copious amounts of precipitation alleviated the most severe drought conditions in Saskatchewan and Alberta, there were still some areas dealing with extreme dryness entering July, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor. At the end of June, only 22 per cent of the Prairie region was classified in the Abnormally Dry (D0) to […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market adjusts for lower barley prices
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices climbed $2-$4 on average. Calf markets were unchanged. For the second week in a row, the market was hard to define due to limited numbers on offer. Small packages under five head and single stragglers were common. Larger groups of green thin yearlings were well bid by […] Read more