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Klassen: Weather, COVID, feed grains pressure feeder market

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were $2-$4 lower on average; calves traded $2 to as much as $6 below week-ago levels. Southern Alberta received its first snowfall of the season last week, which hindered demand for fresh replacements. Feedlots always incorporate a risk discount when the first snowfall of the year materializes, […] Read more

ICE November 2020 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola firm at midweek

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts have steadied after slipping slightly following Canada’s Thanksgiving long weekend, with nearby attention on speculations rolling positions out of the front month. The nearby November contract closed Wednesday at $526.10 per tonne, gaining slightly after incurring losses the day prior. Market participants adjusting positions ahead of the November contract’s […] Read more



ICE November 2020 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: ‘Demand-pull’ environment supports canola

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts moved higher during the week ended Wednesday, moving back toward the contract highs hit in September. Canola is pushing upside chart limits and modest corrections are likely going forward, but the fundamentals remain supportive and “the trend is up until further notice,” said analyst Mike Jubinville of MarketsFarm Pro. […] Read more



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Feed weekly outlook: Prairie grain prices on rise despite harvest

MarketsFarm — Feed barley and wheat prices in Western Canada have been showing some unusual strength in late September, with prices rising despite seasonal harvest pressure. “Right now we’ve been seeing a lot of talk about exports and the need for feed at feedlots,” said Erin Harakal, senior trader at Agfinity at Stony Plain, Alta. […] Read more


(Greg Berg photo)

Oats values hold steady at harvest

MarketsFarm — The oats market in Western Canada is holding relatively steady despite seasonal harvest pressure, although yields failed to live up to earlier expectations. “Steady at harvest time is good,” said Scott Shiels, grain procurement merchant with Grain Millers in Yorkton. Prices often dip at harvest time due to increased deliveries, he noted, but […] Read more

A year ago, many producers were wondering if the glory days of their biggest money-maker were coming to an end. But demand has proven to be resilient, even with China blocking seed sales from Viterra and Richardson International.

Canola remains the golden crop that keeps on giving

There are many factors at play, but the bottom line is prices are good and the outlook is, too

Reading Time: 5 minutes Canola has come through again. Despite more lows than highs over the past year, prices are strong and could get better, market watchers say. “We’re seeing better pricing opportunities right now for canola, and there’s a possibility that prices will move higher,” said Bruce Burnett, director of MarketsFarm (a division of Glacier FarmMedia, which owns […] Read more


It’s been a rough year for feedlots, but slaughter is back to normal, losses have been halved, and the backlog of market-ready cattle is steadily coming down.

Cattle markets: Situation isn’t good but outlook is much better

There's been a 'pretty good recovery' but there's a long ways to go, Canfax official says

Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s been a roller-coaster year and while the ride isn’t over for the cattle sector, the worst may be behind it. “This year has been pretty extreme, but we’ve had a pretty good recovery,” CANFAX manager Brian Perillat said during a presentation at the virtual Canadian Beef Industry Conference. “Things are much better than earlier […] Read more

Chickpeas. (CalypsoArt/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Chickpea market under pressure

Current crop up against disease issues

MarketsFarm — Lost demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic is keeping pressure on the Canadian chickpea market, despite disease issues causing problems for nearly a third of the country’s crop, according to an industry source. After disease caused problems for chickpeas in some areas of southern Saskatchewan in 2019, the radius of the problem area […] Read more