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
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
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
Feed weekly outlook: Grain supply starting to dry up
CNS Canada –– As the winter ends, supply is getting tight for feed grains in Lethbridge’s feedlot alley. “We’re seeing a little bit of a pullback on prices on most commodities in anticipation for making sure everything gets out before road bans,” said Brandon Motz, sales manager at CorNine Commodities at Lacombe, Alta. The feed […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Prairie feed grains following corn’s lead
CNS Canada — A lack of available barley and steady rise in feed corn prices has pushed the market higher in southern Alberta. According to Jim Beusekom of Market Place Commodities at Lethbridge, barley prices have risen from $220 per tonne, since the start of February, to the current price of $230 per tonne. “The […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Supplies tighten as demand rises
CNS Canada — As supplies tighten, Lethbridge feedlots are looking for the cheapest options when it comes to feed. “Supply seems to be tight in general. There’s not a lot of offers on either corn or barley at the moment. And demand is higher than expected coming into March,” said Brandon Motz, sales manager at […] Read more
Manitoba corn rides strong yields through bearish market
CNS Canada — Even as large world supplies continue to weigh down the North American corn market, farmers in Manitoba can continue to hang their hats on strong yields, according to an industry expert. Manitoba’s average yield from the 2017 crop was 134 bushels an acre, according to Myron Krahn, president of the Manitoba Corn […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Feeder cattle hit two-month high
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures gained on technical buying on Tuesday, with feeder cattle rising to a two-month high and lean hogs climbing by as much as 2.6 per cent, traders said. Fresh news remained scant, but traders were more optimistic about higher cash prices for both cattle and hogs. Declining prices for […] Read more
U.S. farmers running out of opportunities to sell corn at profit
Washington | Reuters — U.S. farmers who have been holding out for higher prices for their corn may finally sell their grain below target levels in the next few weeks as a government report released Friday underscores the huge supplies left in storage bins around the country, analysts said. The U.S. Agriculture Department said that […] Read more