As January began, feed grain prices on the Canadian Prairies remained lower and are likely to stay that way until spring, commented broker Evan Peterson of JGL Commodities in Saskatoon.

Feed Grains Weekly: Demand lull to keep prices lower for now
Increases unlikely until late February

Canadian Prairies, U.S. Midwest to get colder in January as South America becomes hotter, drier
Some warmer temps for Prairies during week of Jan. 6
Meteorologist Drew Lerner said he expects colder than normal temperatures across the Canadian Prairies and much of the United States Midwest in January, while a good portion of South America is to be hotter than normal.

U.S. farmers face harsh economics with record corn supplies in silos
Growers miscalculated when they held on to corn rather than booking sales, experts say
Farmers across the United States are kicking themselves for putting off corn sales after fields dried up in May and June, fueling expectations for higher prices and smaller harvests. Instead, prices tanked as rains saved the crop. The size and speed of the price collapse stung farmers and left their storage bins stuffed with record amounts of corn.

Argentine farmers end sales strike as corn export cap pulled
Buenos Aires | Reuters — Argentine farmers called off a three-day-old sales strike on Wednesday, hours before it had been scheduled to end, after the government agreed to free corn export from a recently decreed limit of 30,000 tonnes a day. The export cap that had been imposed at the start of the week was […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Grain prices softer ahead of harvest
MarketsFarm — Feed grain prices have softened ahead of harvesting season, due in part to improving growing conditions and a stronger Canadian dollar. Drought conditions earlier in the summer had threatened Prairie crop yields and buoyed feed grain prices, but the weather premium has subsided thanks to recent rains. “Rain showed us we’ll have a […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs up on trade hopes, falling corn prices
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures rose on Monday on a mix of technical buying, falling corn prices and muted optimism about the weekend resumption of U.S.-China trade negotiations, traders said. “Lean hog futures (received) support from hopes of more Chinese buying after weekend talks went well,” INTL FCStone chief […] Read more

Trade war and sagging prices push out U.S. farmers
A decade ago, young people were flocking back to the farm — but now they, and their parents, are leaving
A decade ago, young people were flocking back to the farm — but now they, and their parents, are leaving
Reading Time: 5 minutes Shuffling across his frozen fields, farmer Jim Taphorn hunched his shoulders against the wind and squinted at the auctioneer standing next to his tractors. After a fifth harvest with low grain prices, made worse last fall by the U.S.-China trade war, the 68-year-old and his family were calling it quits. Farming also was taking a physical toll […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Cheap corn, Prairie harvest quality weigh on prices
CNS Canada — Cheap corn imports and adverse Prairie harvest conditions should mean no shortage of feed grain in Alberta’s feedlot alley this winter — which should also keep prices under pressure going forward. “Anytime you get a ripe crop and you get snow and rain falling on it, it normally doesn’t make better quality,” […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Lethbridge feedlots buying U.S. corn
CNS Canada — As barley prices climb, feedlots around Lethbridge have found a cheaper feed option: corn from the U.S. “Price has (pushed feedlots to buy corn). Barley, it’s probably $4, $5 a tonne higher than corn price right now. And the cattle feeder can source corn quite easily and more economically than barley,” said […] Read more

Spot corn prices strengthen on Prairies amid logistics challenges
CNS Canada –– Corn prices across the Prairies have broken out of their long-held range, which should put cash in producers’ pockets, but it may not be enough to significantly increase seeding plans this spring. For much of 2017 and the early portion of 2018, corn prices in Western Canada were hanging around the $4-$4.30 […] Read more