(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market continues consolidation

U.S. corn northbound into Prairies

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were relatively unchanged while calf markets were down $2-$3 on average. Feedlot inventories in Alberta and Saskatchewan are 30 per cent above the five-year average; therefore, demand is lacking moving into the main marketing period for calves. Finishing feedlots have sufficient ownership and being fairly finicky on […] Read more



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U.S. spring wheat crop down sharply in 2021

MarketsFarm — Spring wheat production in the United States was down sharply in 2021, according to the latest annual small grains report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Total spring wheat production was pegged at 9.01 million tonnes by the government agency, down 44 per cent from the 15.99 million tonnes grown the previous year. […] Read more

Photo: Thinkstock

Feed weekly outlook: Canadian markets firm, waiting on U.S. corn

MarketsFarm — Canadian feed grain bids remain strong, although end-users are only buying on a hand-to-mouth basis as they await an influx of cheaper corn imports from the U.S. “Everybody is waiting on the corn situation to figure out where we’ll go,” said Suzanne Leclerc, owner of Market Master Ltd. in Edmonton. “Buyers are buying […] Read more


Moisture and grain temperature when it hits the bin are the two key factors to watch for.

Stay in the green to reduce risk of grain spoilage

Late tillers might have upped moisture in your wheat and barley, says agronomist

Reading Time: 2 minutes Your cereals might have a higher moisture content than you might expect after a very dry summer, says an agronomist with Alberta Wheat and Alberta Barley. “After a dry early and mid-season, late tillers have emerged due to the later summer rains,” Jeremy Boychyn wrote in his Growing Point blog earlier this month (albertawheatbarley.com). “These […] Read more

A freighter is loaded with grain from a terminal at Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet. (Maxvis/iStock/Getty Images)

Grain exports running well behind year-ago pace

Prices, low stocks keep lid on demand

MarketsFarm — Canadian grain exports are running well behind the year-ago pace through the first few weeks of the 2021-22 marketing year, as smaller supplies and high prices limit offshore demand. Total exports of all of the major grains, oilseeds and pulses as of Sept. 12 of 3.162 million tonnes are down by about 2.1 […] Read more


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Feed weekly outlook: U.S. corn imports to supplement tight supplies

Feeders seeking barley would 'have to pay up'

MarketsFarm — The looming corn harvest in the United States should keep a lid on rising feed grain prices in Western Canada, with more corn expected to make its way into Canadian feedlots this winter. “U.S. corn should start landing in Lethbridge sometime in October or early November,” said Jim Beusekom, of MarketPlace Commodities at […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Lower beef production supports cash feeder market

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were relatively unchanged; calf prices traded $2 on either side of week-ago levels. December and February live cattle futures have dropped $8-$10 off the highs while feed grain values have remained firm. Buyers were on the defensive this past week, given the softer outlook for fed cattle […] Read more


A soybean crop at Headingley, Man. on Sept. 2, 2021. StatsCan’s latest estimates project drought-hit Manitoba’s soybean production to drop by 22.2 per cent from 2021, while Canada’s soybean harvest overall is expected down 7.4 per cent on the year. (Dave Bedard photo)

Prairie crops downgraded in latest StatsCan estimates

Corn, soybean crops upsized from previous report

MarketsFarm — Drought conditions across Canada’s Prairies cut into yields throughout the region in 2021, with production of most of the major crops downgraded by Statistics Canada in updated crop estimates released Tuesday. Using satellite imagery, the government agency now sees total canola production for the 2021-22 crop year at 12.78 million tonnes, which compares […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Incoming corn pressures barley, wheat

MarketsFarm — Pressure from forthcoming corn imports from the U.S. have been driving down feed prices for barley and wheat in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, according to Evan Peterson, trader with JGL Commodities in Saskatoon. Meanwhile, prices in Alberta held steady. “We’re seeing some decent coverage right now on the feeder side. We’re waiting for the […] Read more