MarketsFarm — Much of Western Canada remained in some state of drought at the end of August despite widespread rains late in the month, according to updated maps compiled by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The area mapped out as dealing with ‘exceptional drought’ in south-central Manitoba’s agricultural regions contracted slightly compared to the previous month […] Read more

Drought maps show little change at end of August

It’s been anything but business as usual for pulse sector this year
It’s not just the drought hitting production — global demand is up, shipping disrupted and processing plants coming online
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s definitely unusual times for the Prairie pulse sector, and save for a lucky few, it’s a year most will be glad to see the back of. “It’s rare to see such a large cross-section of the industry impacted by drought, but that is very much the case here,” said Pulse Canada president Greg Cherewyk. […] Read more
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

Recent rains boost winter wheat prospects
Even if their ground is still dry, some growers may seed winter wheat and cross their fingers
Reading Time: 4 minutes Recent rainfall across Alberta may have more producers considering winter wheat this year. “With the rains we’ve had lately, there are people who are still optimistic about putting in some winter wheat this year,” Gary Stanford said on Aug. 25, following a week that brought about an inch and a half of moisture to his […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Canola market awaits harvests, USDA
MarketsFarm — Canola contracts on the ICE Futures platform drifted lower during the week ended Wednesday, although the market remains stuck in a sideways trading pattern overall as participants try to get a better handle on the size of this year’s crop. An upcoming supply/demand report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture also has the […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Chickpeas find high-priced silver lining
MarketsFarm — Like many other crops across Western Canada, chickpeas weren’t immune to hot and dry growing conditions over the summer. This year’s domestic chickpea crop is only expected to weigh in at 63,000 tonnes, according to Statistics Canada — less than one-third of the five-year average of 189,600 tonnes. In Saskatchewan, some parts of […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Crop estimates show severity of drought
'Corn bandwagon' filling up
MarketsFarm — Preliminary crop yield estimates released by Statistics Canada on Monday outlined just how severely the drought in Western Canada cut into production. Mike Fleischhauer, general manager for Eagle Commodities at Lethbridge, Alta., was not at all surprised by the numbers. “I think we knew that was happening all along,” he said. “There are […] Read more

Tight supplies underpin oat bids with demand rationing expected
Corrected, Sept. 3 — MarketsFarm — Canadian oat prices should remain well supported over the next year given the smaller crop, but some demand will likely back away as buyers look for cheaper alternatives. While most of his customers were still taking delivery on existing contracts and not yet in the spot market, Ryan McKnight […] Read more

Thunder Bay reports rare inbound grain shipment
MarketsFarm — Grain movement at the Port of Thunder Bay included a rare inbound cargo of feed wheat, according to the port’s latest monthly report. A 12,000-tonne shipment of feed wheat was delivered to Richardson’s Current River elevator from the company’s facility in Hamilton, Ont. The wheat was said to be destined for Manitoba feedlots, […] Read more

Nexera canola seed to come with heat blast insurance
Corteva's 'Heat Advantage' provides coverage on seed purchased by Oct. 29
Farmers can’t prevent canola flowers from aborting in hot weather resulting in lower yields, but one seed company is providing some insurance against it — as part of the price of the seed. Brevant’s Nexera canola seed comes with a “a first-of-its-kind” insurance policy worth up to $100 an acre to offset yield losses due […] Read more