CNS Canada – Cattle in “feedlot alley” in Lethbridge, Alta., won’t be seeing corn leave their diets any time soon, according to one feed grain buyer. “The marketplace booked up a fair bit of corn in advance of it, so through September, December and even out into March. So that’s all been done, that corn […] Read more

Pre-booked corn pushing barley and wheat out of Alberta feedlots

It’s a year of disappointment for most Alberta malt barley growers
Wicked harvest will see a lot of the malt crop downgraded, but maltsters appear to have enough
Reading Time: 4 minutes Jeff Nielsen considers himself one of the lucky ones — he got all his barley off before winter-in-September weather arrived and knows it’s malt quality. “If you got it off before all this crappy weather, you may have malt. If you still have barley now, it’s very doubtful that you have malt,” the Olds-area producer […] Read more

Lightweight barley works well in cattle feeding program
One study found only a four per cent difference in feed efficiency, but it should be properly processed
Reading Time: 2 minutes Initial reports from this year’s harvest indicate that bushel weight of threshed grains is variable, with barley ranging from 35 to 50 pounds per bushel. “Feedlots and elevators are more than willing to take the heavyweight barley without any hesitation or discounts,” said beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. “When barley bushel weights are below […] Read more

Harvest delays prompt questions about malt barley supplies
CNS Canada — The long, wet harvest of 2018 has probably spelled the end for most hopes that barley still in fields will meet malting specifications. “I really suspect that anything left in the field now, any barley now, will not be malting quality,” said Jeff Nielsen, a farmer near Olds, Alta., and director with […] Read more

Klassen: Feeder cattle market holding value
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were steady to as much as $4 higher while calf values traded within $5 on either side of unchanged. Current feedlot margins are hovering around break-even, but profitability will improve during October and November, given the recent strength in the deferred live cattle futures. Therefore, short-keep feeders […] Read more

Klassen: Feeder market eyes April live cattle futures
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to $3 higher. Strength in the deferred live cattle futures, particularly the April contract, spilt over into the cash feeder market. Limited supplies of yearlings also contributed to the firmer tone. Feedlots have been patiently securing heavier replacements, but we’re now on the home […] Read more

Large Canadian canola ending stocks expected
CNS Canada — Canada’s canola ending stocks as of July 31 came in at about a million tonnes above the previous year’s carryout — but were still well within trade expectations. Canola supplies as of July 31 were estimated at 2.391 million tonnes by Statistics Canada on Thursday, with 954,000 tonnes of that in commercial […] Read more

Klassen: Feeder market reflects vulnerability
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded within $5 on either side of unchanged. Strength was noted in the major feeding regions of Alberta while subdued buying interest was noted in other regions of the Prairies. Major operations focused on local cattle, especially in southern Alberta. Feature sales attracted larger crowds which enhanced […] Read more
Harvest progress behind curve as hot, dry spell ends
Reading Time: 4 minutes Unsettled weather conditions continue to plague the 2018 harvest season. Producers made very little progress this past week as intermittent showers and rainfall affected all regions. Along with the moisture, cooler weather led to unwelcome frost and ended the long-lasting hot dry spell. The early morning hours saw temperatures in the central region fall below […] Read more

StatsCan’s canola forecast deemed supportive
CNS Canada — A summer of dryness and sizzling heat has apparently taken its toll on canola plants in many areas of Western Canada, according to the latest crop production estimate from Statistics Canada. In a survey compiled in the latter days of July and released Friday, Statistics Canada pegged canola production for 2018-19 at […] Read more