Barley. (Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Barley values steady, wheat rises

MarketsFarm — As the harvest across most of the Prairies begins to wind down, price movement for feed barley has remained fairly stable, according to Erin Harakal, senior trader for Agfinity at Stony Plain, Alta. “October is getting covered is what’s happening. There’s not too much room left for October,” Harakal said, noting the midway […] Read more

New guide on managing straw

New guide on managing straw

Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta’s cereal groups along with their prairie counterparts have created a straw management guide. The six-page primer covers nutrient content, how nutrients are released, the value of organic matter, and methods for managing excess straw and residue. The nutrient portion of the guide looks at how much nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur is typically found […] Read more


Harvest sample program now open

Harvest sample program now open

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Grain Commission harvest sample program is now open. The free program gives producers a host of info that can be used when marketing or delivering grain.  This includes an unofficial grade; dockage for canola; protein content for cereals and pulses; oil, protein and chlorophyll content for canola; falling number for wheat and rye; […] 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


CME April 2023 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

Klassen: April live cattle futures pull nearby cash feeder market higher

More feedlots switching back to barley

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded steady to $3 higher on average. Quality yearling packages of larger volume traded $2-$3 above week-ago levels. The calf market is becoming more defined. Larger calf volumes were on offer in Saskatchewan and Manitoba but smaller numbers were noted in Alberta. Therefore, we can’t accurately compare […] 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


(Dave Bedard photo)

Ending stocks tumble due to drought: StatCan

Canola stocks are below 'pipeline levels'

MarketsFarm — Severe drought in Western Canada during the summer of 2021 has played a major part in reducing the stocks for Canada’s principal field crops at the end of the 2021-22 marketing year, according to Statistics Canada. Canada’s central data agency released a report Wednesday presenting total ending stocks for the country’s major crops […] 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


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder markets digest StatCan data

Barley crop expected up 34 per cent on year

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded steady to $2 higher. Yearling prices have strengthened by $8-$10 over the past four weeks. Calf values were relatively unchanged but the market was hard to define due to limited volumes. Alberta packers were buying on a dressed basis from $300 to $302 delivered, up $1-$2 […] 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