Reading Time: 5 minutes Record-setting temperatures in mid-August have added pressure to an already desperate situation for cattle producers across Alberta. “There are some people who are going to be really short on feed and pasture,” Alberta Beef Producers executive director Rich Smith said in mid-August. “Some people are in a really tough situation. The heat last week was […] Read more

Feed skyrockets in many areas — but there are options out there
Hay is uneconomical in some areas, forcing producers to either cull or find alternative feed sources

Klassen: Feeder market eyes feed grain prices
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets were $4 on either side of unchanged and the market was quite variable across the Prairies. Strength was noted early in the week but feedlot operators pulled in the reins on Thursday and Friday. Strength in the barley market along with lower feeder cattle prices south of […] Read more

New grain standards now in effect
Changes to the grain grading guide as of Aug. 1
Reading Time: < 1 minute Changes to the Official Grain Grading Guide and variety designation lists are now in effect. That means individual official standard samples will be used to assess frost, heat stress, and mildew damage in western Canadian wheat. New variety designation lists also came into effect on Aug. 1 — 25 varieties of Canada Western Red Spring […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Shortages expected for Prairie barley
CNS Canada — Sales have slowed for feed grain buyers in Western Canada, as concerns continue to mount about feed shortages. “The confidence from the farmer is not (there anymore). He just wants to see some crop come into his bin. So we’ve definitely slowed in our buying,” said Brandon Motz, sales manager at CorNine […] Read more

Ponoka microbrewery eyes world domination
Reading Time: 5 minutes Kari and Brent Tarasoff had no intention of opening a brewery when they began growing hops in Penticton, B.C. four years ago. But their five-year plan got thrown out the window last year when they opened Siding 14 Brewing Company in Ponoka with two partners. And pretty soon, they’ll need to toss out their new […] Read more

Early harvest pressures Prairie barley prices
CNS Canada — Barley prices in Western Canada are falling as an early harvest is weighing on values. “Prices have moderated here,” said Allen Pirness of Market Place Commodities Ltd. Lethbridge, Alta. The surprise rally from last week ended as quickly as it began. Prices which started last week at about C$250 per tonne were […] Read more

France to the rescue as drought hits EU barley crop
Hamburg | Reuters — Drought has seriously damaged barley harvests in northern Europe, potentially tightening supplies of animal feed and malt for beer brewing, but a decent crop in France could save the day, experts said on Thursday. “There are painful crop losses in Germany, Poland, Britain and Scandinavia,” one German trader said. “The volume […] Read more

Chinese demand boosting Canadian wheat, barley exports
CNS Canada — China is making major moves to import more Canadian wheat and barley this year. Data released by the Canadian Grain Commission show China more than tripled its wheat imports, taking in 979,100 tonnes as of May, up from 295,300 tonnes in the same period of 2016-17 and an increase of 231.6 per […] Read more

World’s oldest bread found at prehistoric site in Jordan
Washington | Reuters — Charred remains of a flatbread baked about 14,500 years ago in a stone fireplace at a site in northeastern Jordan have given researchers a delectable surprise: people began making bread, a vital staple food, millennia before they developed agriculture. No matter how you slice it, the discovery detailed on Monday shows […] Read more

Canadian canola area likely above earlier projection
CNS Canada — Canadian farmers likely seeded more canola in 2018 than initial expectations, but industry participants generally expect to see only minor adjustments when Statistics Canada releases its latest acreage estimates on Friday. “Our idea is that the canola seeded area number is higher than initially reported,” said Jon Driedger of FarmLink Marketing Solutions. […] Read more