Feed barley in Lethbridge was selling for C$295 to C$300 per tonne for May and June delivery, up C$5 from two weeks earlier, said Brandon Motz, owner and manager of CorNine Commodities in Lacombe, Alta. He also heard offers of up to C$310/tonne. Meanwhile, feed wheat was selling at C$305 to C$310/tonne.

“There still seems to be some very aggressive bids (for feed barley) from the line companies,” Motz said. “Actual feedlot demand is below average this time of year, but there are a lot of moving factors.”

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As barley and wheat move through the markets, rising corn prices have weakened demand for the crop.

“Corn is trickling into the market. There is some feeding corn. Corn has always kind of been in the background, but there’s not a lot of volume. Corn prices have rallied up too. So they’ve stayed out of reach,” Motz said.

Rising fuel prices, brought on by the war in Iran, have tightened margins for grain companies and railways, resulting in surcharges and higher freight rates. Motz added that they are affecting growers’ bottom lines as well.

“That’s quite a jump if you didn’t have your spring needs already booked,” he said. “It’s definitely something to be watched and unfortunately not a lot can be done to manage that risk. The bid offer spread has to be adjusted to compensate for fuel prices.”

Where grain prices could go is hard to determine, but Motz believes there will be little movement in the near term.

“It’s safe to assume that prices will remain in this area for the next week at least. There’s nothing to suggest that anything should change,” he said. “But at the same time, this market has been one tweet way from dramatic correction on either side … We need some global shifts to take place before any of the markets come off their highs at this point.”

Prairie Ag Hotwire reported that delivered feed barley prices in Alberta ranged from C$5.01 to C$6.75 per bushel on April 6, steady from the week before. In Saskatchewan, they were also steady, ranging from C$5.12 to C$5.45/bu. In Manitoba, prices were up 25 cents at C$4.77 to C$5/bu.

Feed wheat prices in Alberta were from C$6.18 to C$8.38/bu., down three cents. Manitoba’s feed wheat price was C$6.45, up 13 cents, while Saskatchewan’s was steady at C$7.30/bu.

The post Feed Grain Weekly: Demand rises despite war uncertainty appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

A Canadian beef quality audit conducted 10 years ago pegged the annual cost at $61 million. But that figure did not account for hidden losses like reduced growth efficiency, increased feed costs and added carcass trim. Modelled against more recent U.S. research (Taylor et al. 2025), the real number could be closer to $250 million.

“The important thing was that most of the losses that were associated with that number were before slaughter. So these are your increased energy maintenance,” said Rob Gruninger of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at the Alberta Beef Producers’ annual beef research showcase at the University of Lethbridge.

“A pen that has 20 per cent animals with liver abscesses will have four per cent increased maintenance energy cattle with A-plus liver.”

WHY IT MATTERS: With millions of dollars up for grabs in quality of cattle affected by liver abscesses, more proactive research and screening are critical in finding solutions other than antibiotics that may get banned by government eventually.

The per-animal loss ranges from $11 to $275, depending on severity. A-plus livers — severely abscessed with multiple small abscesses — carry the heaviest penalty, while A-minus livers with one or two small abscesses reduce carcass weight by roughly 29 pounds.

The detection problem

One of the biggest challenges is that liver abscesses are nearly invisible until slaughter. Cattle rarely show clinical signs unless severely impaired, and ultrasounds have proven ineffective at capturing the entire liver. Researchers hope a blood-based test using gene expression will soon fill that gap.

“If there was a way to identify it earlier, better (feed) management decisions would be great,” said Gruninger. “The closest thing I’ve seen in data related to that is the beef-on-dairy. Those animals are on feed for an extra 100 days relative to an Angus cow, and you see significantly higher rates of abscesses.”

What drives the condition

Industry estimates put incidence rates at 10 to 30 per cent across North America, with Canada on the higher end. Steers are more susceptible than heifers. More days on feed and more digestible diets both raise the risk. Dairy cattle have higher rates than beef cattle, with summer months worse than winter. Diets heavy on wheat and barley produce higher rates than corn or sorghum, and silage outpaces hay.

“The currently accepted theory of how liver abscess is developed is that it’s related to acidosis, and so the consumption of highly fermentable diets results in the rapid production of volatile fatty acids,” said Gruninger. “The rumen is only able to absorb those acids at a certain rate. So if you’re producing more acid than the animal is able to use for growth, then the pH of the rumen is going to decrease.”

When pH drops far enough for long enough, the rumen wall can be damaged, allowing gut bacteria into the bloodstream — a condition known as ruminitis. Those bacteria travel through the portal vein to the liver, where they can colonize and form infections. Emerging research also points to hind gut acidosis and epithelial damage in the cecum and colon as another possible entry point.

The core bacteria found in abscessed livers are Fusobacterium and Bacteroides. Both exist in healthy livers too, but at lower levels — meaning the triggering factors, including diet, stress and days on feed, are what tip the balance.

Growing pressure on antibiotics

Tylosin is the primary feed additive used to reduce liver abscesses, cutting incidence by 30 to 35 per cent without affecting gain. But federal pressure to reduce antimicrobial use in livestock is mounting, and Gruninger stressed the industry needs alternatives in case Tylosin is eventually banned.

Current approaches — more fibre and forage, yeast products, direct-fed microbials, essential oils and a dated fusobacterium-specific vaccine — have shown inconsistent or inconclusive results.

Gruninger recommended reducing chronic pen overcrowding, avoiding disruptions during diet transitions, choosing grains carefully and managing days on feed — all in combination with Tylosin until a better option emerges.

“I think the most feasible would be, ‘Could we figure out how to make a vaccine that works well enough that is cost effective and makes sense to use’?” he said. “Maybe targeting more than just fusobacteria.”

Why the cost is likely climbing

With beef cattle being pushed to greater finishing weights and more days on feed in recent years, the economic impact has almost certainly grown. Producers in the audience hypothesized the real cost may be five times the figures from a decade ago.

“The goal of the research is can we find some other (effective) ways,” said Gruninger.

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Jim Beusekom, president of Market Place Commodities, said feed barley was trading at C$305 to C$310 per tonne in Lethbridge, with feed wheat at a similar range. U.S. corn was trading at C$295 to C$305. He said feed barley and wheat, which were trading at C$270 per tonne at the start of the month, largely followed the upward price movement for U.S. corn futures.

For daily markets coverage, visit the Western Producer Markets Desk

Beusekom added that consistent demand and a “successful” export program for feed barley will continue to support prices over the next six weeks.

“We would expect spring and summer will be a competitive marketplace to purchase from farmers because they’ve been successful in selling their crops so far and they aren’t carrying as much as originally forecasted,” Beusekom said. “A lot of the market direction on barley is definitely still being set by corn and secondly by the exporters.”

Although the war in Iran and the halting of traffic on the Strait of Hormuz have affected energy prices nationwide, Beusekom said it hasn’t affected grain prices yet, but freight rates could change if fuel costs stay elevated. The question of who will take care of those costs is still up in the air.

“There are a lot of input costs that are creeping higher. How do you know if they are factored into those prices? It’s hard to tell,” he added. “For example, on grain that’s (shipped) for export, does the seller pay for it or does the buyer pay for it? For the grain we’re importing, it’s basically the same thing.”

More markets coverage – Klassen: Stronger barley prices weigh on feeder cattle values

As for upcoming spring conditions, Beusekom said parts of southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan are “leaning towards drought”, but they are still subject to change.

“It does seem Western Canada is leaning on the dry side but I want to caution everyone, rain and a snowstorm will alleviate every drought concern,” he said.

Prairie Ag Hotwire reported delivered feed barley prices in Alberta at C$4.79 to C$6.68 per bushel on March 23, up 26 cents from the previous week. In Saskatchewan, the price range was C$4.90 to C$5.45/bu., unchanged from the week before. In Manitoba, prices were from C$4.60 to C$4.71/bu., down two cents.

Delivered feed wheat prices in Alberta were from C$5.97 to C$8.41/bu. for a weekly gain of 35 cents. In Saskatchewan, prices were up 30 cents at C$7 to C$7.30/bu. In Manitoba, the price increased by three cents at C$6.27/bu.

The post Feed Grain Weekly: Seasonal gains expected this spring appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“China stepped up and bought a lot of Canadian origin barley, which put the price up C$40 (per tonne) off the low for new crop,” Peterson said.

He reported feed barley bids at C$290/tonne delivered in Lethbridge for old crop and C$270 to C$275 for new crop. Feed wheat was trading at C$280 to C$285/tonne delivered.

Peterson said feedlots in southern Alberta are well-covered for grain.

“You have southern Alberta in relatively good shape right now for coverage. So you have two markets trading,” he added. “We’re poised to trade higher once we see some demand come back to the market in southern Alberta.”

Purchases of corn imported from the United States have quieted down as of late, said Peterson. But if there is continued demand for feed grains in the Canadian export market, he expects more corn to enter the markets due to its price parity with feed barley.

“If barley trends higher, you’re going to see feeders in the spring and summer switch to adding corn in their rations to limit the upside on barley,” Peterson explained.

As spring approaches, so does a potential weather market. Because of this, Peterson believes prices won’t be steady in the coming weeks.

“If we start getting some decent moisture, you’ll probably see some more grain liquidate off the farm,” he said. “Right now, we’re poised to continue to move higher or stay where we’re at. But we’re looking to go lower over the next three months.”

Prairie Ag Hotwire reported on Feb. 27 that delivered feed barley prices in Saskatchewan ranged from C$4.90 to C$5 per bushel, steady from the week before. The range in Alberta was from C$4.79 to C$6.05/bu., up seven cents from the past week. In Manitoba, it was C$4.60 to C$4.61/bu., down one cent.

For feed wheat, the price in Saskatchewan was C$7.00/bu., unchanged from the previous week. That in Manitoba was C$6.04/bu., up 10 cents. Values ranged from C$5.97 to C$7.76/bu. in Alberta, up five cents.

The post Feed Grain Weekly: Export market firming prices appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Susanne Leclerc of Market Master Ltd. in Edmonton said there is a wide gap between March prices in Edmonton and Lethbridge due to the amount of corn coming into the southern half of the province. However, the discrepancy is narrowing for April delivery.

“Elevators are paying C$5.70 (per bushel for feed barley) delivered in the Edmonton region, and when you take the feed barley price picked up in the Lethbridge region, it would only be C$5.10, C$5.15 in the March timeframe picked up in the yard,” Leclerc explained.

“It seems like if we look into April, they’re starting to match. So it will be interesting to see if they get closer or not, because there is more corn coming into the Lethbridge area.”

Strong export programs at elevators for feed barley are keeping prices elevated, she added, diminishing the grain’s market advantage over corn. Leclerc also said mild weather and higher prices have resulted in increased grain movement.

More markets coverage: World’s winter wheat crops look good for now

“More people are taking advantage of the markets that are there,” she said.

Other grains are also making their way into feedlots to fulfill their feed ratios.

“We’re seeing some more wheat being picked up by feedlots,” Leclerc said. “We’re seeing more demand for feed pulses like feed peas and fabas. There is still a lot of demand for feed oats.”

Feed grain prices should start to see their perennial spring rallies at around April, she added.

Delivered feed barley prices in Alberta ranged from C$4.90 to C$5.88/bu., down four cents from the previous week, said Prairie Ag Hotwire on Feb. 11. Those in Manitoba were from C$4.60 to C$4.61, down two cents, while a price of C$5.00 was reported in Saskatchewan, unchanged from the week before.

For feed wheat, delivered prices in Alberta ranged from C$6.31 to C$7.59/bu., down three cents from seven days earlier. Manitoba reported a price of C$5.86, while Saskatchewan had a price of C$7.00, with both unchanged.

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Brandon Motz, owner and manager of CorNine Commodities in Lacombe, Alta., said prices for feed barley rose to C$270 to C$272 per tonne delivered in Lethbridge as of Jan. 19, compared to C$260 to C$265 in the previous week. He added that recent strong sales have lifted prices at the right time.

“Barley needs at the feedlots still remain lower. Demand is not super high on the feedlot side. It’s allowed exports to come in and pick up some of that slack on the barley side,” Motz said. “We expect export demand to remain for the next several weeks, in terms to being able to post a competitive bid. Unless more business gets put on and it might last a bit longer.”

He added that export demand for feed grains is not abnormal for this time of year and that much of the feed barley exported is going to Japan.

Meanwhile, a large corn crop in the United States is making corn imports more appealing to buyers, but prices are still not at parity with feed barley.

“Corn (prices in) Lethbridge would be barley’s ceiling. Not everybody want to feed with corn, but corn is C$280 to C$283 in Lethbridge,” Motz said. “There are still guys that are feeding corn, but for the most part, barley is still the main source for feed today. If barley starts to run away, corn will become the default … From a dollars and cents perspective, it would be an easy switch.”

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada released its January principal field crops outlook on Jan. 21, which included initial projections for the 2026-27 crop year. Seeded area for barley is set to increase by six per cent at 2.635 million hectares, but a return to average yields will see production decline by 13.1 per cent at 8.45 million tonnes.

Prairie Ag Hotwire reported delivered feed barley prices in Alberta ranged from C$4.50 to C$5.88 per bushel as of Jan. 21, steady from the past month. In Saskatchewan, prices were from C$4.50 to C$4.90/bu. (up 15 cents from the past month) and in Manitoba, prices were C$4.50 to C$4.64/bu. (up 11 cents).

For feed wheat, delivered prices in Alberta ranged from C$5.85 to C$7.48/bu. (down 14 cents). In Saskatchewan, a bid of C$6.88 was reported (steady) and in Manitoba, C$5.82 was reported (up 13 cents).

The post Feed Grain Weekly: Barley still the king of Canadian feed grains appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

TFS Expanse has been growing Syngenta’s Enogen corn for years and operates four feedlots in Alberta, averaging about 30,000 head of beef cattle a year for custom feeding.

WHY IT MATTERS: Increased corn acreage in southern Alberta aids feed industry and inputs for cattle for ranchers looking closer to home in Canada.

The variety was originally developed for the ethanol industry and contains an alpha amylase enzyme, which enhances the breakdown of starch in the cattle’s rumen, which provides for higher feed efficiency and better nutritional value.

TFS Expanse has been shifting to a wet-corn program for the past year and a half as part of an emerging trend in the region.

“It has great growth potential. If every feedlot did 10,000 tonnes of it, it would make a huge difference in the amount of corn that we have to import from the U.S.,” said David Bekkering, co-owner and farm manager of TFS Expanse/Feedlots.

He said shorter shipping distances have also had environmental benefits.

Alberta silage and grain corn acres have increased to 300,000 from 40,000 since 2014.

Corn yields are also increasing.

While they were averaging 150 bushels per acre 15 years ago, TFS has been seeing average yields of 250 bu. per acre in a very strong year, which dwarfs barley.

The company uses Enogen corn for two-thirds of its wet-corn program, which used more than 17,000 tonnes in 2025.

Bekkering said one acre of corn can feed approximately 2.5 animals.

“They had a pretty good year with barley around here with irrigation, about 100 to 120 bu. on average. Relatively speaking, they’re getting about two to 2.5 tonnes of barley per acre. So we’re basically doubling the number of animals we can feed (on corn) per acre of land use,” he said.

Financial benefits

Cows can also graze the stover after the corn has been harvested. With the crop off in November, that means five months worth of food supply going into March.

“It’s almost like a winter grazing. That reduces our costs greatly on the cow-calf side of things. You are able to feed those cows almost for free on the stover,” said Bekkering.

Steam flake corn is the gold standard for feed digestibility with livestock, which TFS Expanse has reached since the early 2000s, along with a handful of other producers in southern Alberta.

However, Enogen has been closing the gap in the nutritional differences. The wet-corn process saves money overall economically but does require specific storage management practices.

“With steam flake corn, you have to expend a lot of energy. You have to cook it, bake it and roll it. It’s about $10 a tonne,” said Bekkering.

With two turns of cattle going through the company’s feedyards totalling 60,000 head, that’s a lot of cost savings when moving from steam flake to wet corn.

Mitigating trade uncertainties

Feedgrain is protected by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, but there is still plenty of trade uncertainty.

“If all of a sudden China steps in and decides to purchase a lot of soybeans from the U.S., then all of a sudden that might draw more acres into soybeans for next year, which might influence the price of corn because there’s a shortage of corn acres,” he said.

“Because of the uncertainty in trade, it’s probably more of a problem right now than the tariffs themselves.”

The United States exported 651,000 tonnes of corn to Canada in 2022-23, according to the U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council.

Producing feed closer to home has become a greater priority for the industry, considering currency fluctuations, tariff/trade issues with the U.S. and the spectre of potential railway labour disputes.

“We’re hoping to produce more corn locally because we’ve got an abundance of irrigation land here, and corn pay is better than growing a cereal crop on a per acre basis,” said Bekkering.

“Getting better economics by growing corn, we avoid having to buy from the U.S. if needed, which gives us a buffer. We probably will never be able to produce enough corn here to feed everything, but with our combination of western barley and our own local corn, we can go less and less with U.S. corn.”

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“Feeders seem to be very well covered going into the holidays here. The markets are still staying very quiet,” Peterson said. “(The feed barley) market’s still very quiet at the C$265 to C$270 (per tonne) delivered Lethbridge value.”

He also said barley is priced at approximately C$20/tonne less than corn, maintaining the former’s status as the preferred grain at feedlots.

Peterson added that while grain movement continues at a good pace, buying and selling on the markets are slowing down, describing recent activity as “execution mode” compared to “buying and selling mode”.

Delivered feed grain prices in Lethbridge have come off recent lows and demand has stayed strong, but he expects little price movement for a while.

“Personally, I think the market’s going to be sideways for the next few months until the spring,” Peterson said. “I’m kind of anticipating slow trade in the next six to eight weeks, anyway.”

Looking back at this year, what stood out most for Peterson were the high crop yields relative to previous years.

“We moved a lot of grain off the combine. Right now, the producers seem to be fairly comfortable with what they’ve sold. They’re kind of waiting for the next round of selling and we’ll see what happens when the calendar turns,” he added.

Delivered feed barley bids in Saskatchewan ranged from C$4.46 to C$4.75 per bushel as of Dec. 10, unchanged from the previous week, Prairie Ag Hotwire reported. In Alberta, prices added seven cents at C$4.35 to C$5.94/bu. and those in Manitoba lost three cents at C$4.25 to C$4.49/bu.

Delivered feed wheat was steady in Saskatchewan at C$6.88/bu delivered. In Alberta, prices nudged up three cents at C$5.84 to C$7.57/bu. while prices in Manitoba lost 12 cents at C$5.76/bu.

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Jim Beusekom, president of Market Place Commodities Ltd. in Lethbridge, Alta. said prices are going up due to seasonal demand as more cattle enter feedlots. He also explained that overseas demand for Canadian feed barley is also affecting prices.

“There is a window that exporters have been taking advantage of to ship barley, principally to China,” Beusekom said, adding there is enough barley to fulfill the needs of exporters and feedlots. “There are no supply issues at all.”

He also said barley was selling at C$265/tonne, compared to C$250 in August.

“From 2021 to 2023, we had moved upwards to C$10/tonne per day. Just to put it in perspective, the market isn’t doing a whole lot,” Beusekom explained.

Other grains are also making their way into feed, including feed wheat from Alberta and Manitoba, as well as oats, rye and triticale. Feed grains are also being augmented by an excess supply of corn across the Prairies.

“When you have big crops, you have big crops of everything. It’s not just canola, wheat or pulses. There’s a lot of supply of everything and anything that is lower grade or cleaned out … all that clean-out ends up in feed,” Beusekom said.

He added that if exports continue at their current pace, prices may be higher. However, the market is also following seasonal patterns.

“The seasonals on feed grains are pretty clear. Usually the markets rally through October and November and then decline going into the latter part of winter and even into early spring, and then (they’re) back up again,” Beusekom said.

Delivered bids for feed barley in Saskatchewan were steady over the past month, ranging from C$4.46 to C$4.75 per bushel, said Prairie Ag Hotwire on Nov. 17. In Alberta, prices ranged from C$4.35 to C$5.73/bu., up 13 cents this month. In Manitoba, feed barley was between C$4 to C$4.47/bu., up 15 cents.

For feed wheat, C$6.88/bu. was reported as a price in Saskatchewan, unchanged from the past month. Manitoba also reported a price of C$5.83/bu., up 18 cents. In Alberta, there was a range of C$5.84 to C$7.40/bu., up 15 cents.

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Darcy Haley, vice president of Ag Value Brokers, described the harvest in southern Alberta as “phenomenal” as crops were assisted by heavy rains in June and July. He added that yields in the Calgary area were at their highest in “seven or eight years”.

“I wouldn’t call it a bumper crop, but it was very close. Very, very good crops in Alberta (this year),” Haley said. “For the most part, other than in southwest Saskatchewan, I haven’t heard a lot of negatives at all when it comes to crop production.”

However, warmer temperatures led to an extended grass season for livestock, meaning cattle entered feedlots later than usual. Instead of facing feed shortages due to drought as seen in the past few years, there is very little need for more feed.

Domestic buyers are generally well covered with ample supplies, while lightweight cattle don’t need very much grain to start, said Haley, adding that feedlots are only willing to pay so much while “you have a farmer who is not liking the price, period.”

Buyers and sellers are usually about C$5 to C$10 apart, and Haley said “nobody moves unless somebody absolutely has to have it or somebody has to move it.”

He was blunt in his assessment of where prices will go over the next few weeks.

“Flat,” he said. “They’re not going to do much of anything. I think they’ll stay flat for quite a while.”

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