Reading Time: 3 minutes There’s not much that producers can do in the event of drought. They’re hostage to nature and hope for enough rainfall to save their crops. While recent rains in parts of Alberta were helpful, crops will need more moisture this season and there’s no guarantee it will come. But while watching the skies, farmers can […] Read more

To best weather drought, focus on what you can control
It comes down to making sure there’s room for recovery while balancing risk and cost

U.S. grains: Corn, soy slide as Midwest rain outlook improves
Wheat drops on Russia production outlook
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. new-crop corn and soybean futures fell on Tuesday to their lowest in more than a week, pressured by forecasts for much-needed rains in the Midwest where crops have been deteriorating under dry conditions, analysts said. Wheat futures tumbled more than five per cent as worries subsided about political instability in […] Read more

Prairie Forecast Update: Low to push across region’s east
Update issued June 25, covering June 25-28
There has been a little bit of a shift in the overall weather pattern according to the latest weather model runs. The arctic high is dropping east-southeast as expected and will be around James Bay by the middle of this week. Along the southern boundary of the arctic air, the weather models show an area […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Rains lift interest, prices
Dry conditions in U.S. Corn Belt supportive
MarketsFarm — When Alberta was dry, feed prices drew little interest according to Susanne Leclerc of Market Master Ltd. in Edmonton. But that changed after some timely rains, with prices on the rise. “There’s more demand than we have seen in a while,” Leclerc said. “When crops were looking crappy and people were worried about […] Read more

Prairie Forecast: Shift in the pattern
Issued June 21, covering June 21 to 28
The weather pattern that brought some record heat to the eastern Prairies, and some significant rains to parts of Alberta, looks like it will be undergoing a bit of change during this forecast period. The overall flow across the Prairies appears as though it will become predominantly northwesterly as an upper low sets up over […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: Weather fuels rallies in grain prices
Rains expected in U.S. Plains states
MarketsFarm — Weather and less-than-stellar crop conditions were the primary factors that caused week-long rallies on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) for the week ended Wednesday. Ongoing dryness in most areas of the U.S. saw crops begin to deteriorate. The corn crop dropped six points to 55 per cent good to excellent as of […] Read more

Prairie Forecast Update: Alberta low to break in two
Forecast issued June 18, covering June 19-21
So far, the general forecast seems to be on track, but there have been some changes. The area of low pressure expected to develop and move north through Alberta is still on track but the weather models now it show it winding itself up across central and northern Alberta on Monday before it breaks apart […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn, soy, wheat set multi-month highs on weather worries
U.S. markets closed Monday for Juneteenth
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, soybean and wheat futures all closed higher on Friday and all set multi-month highs during the session as worries about stressful dry conditions in key portions of the Midwest prompted a flurry of buying ahead of a three-day holiday weekend, analysts said. “We have an issue here in the […] Read more

Prairie Forecast: Alberta low looks to dominate
Forecast issued June 14, covering June 14-21
So far, the weather models have been doing a good job with the medium-range forecasts, only falling off late in the forecast period. Of course, in the summer, short-range forecasts can be difficult, especially when it comes to just when and where thunderstorms will develop. I always find it interesting that a forecast could be […] Read more

ICE weekly outlook: Canola will follow soyoil up or down
Prairie weather another guiding factor
MarketsFarm — Although canola prices have been somewhat erratic over the last weeks, they along with other oilseeds have generally rebounded, according to trader Ken Ball of PI Financial in Winnipeg. Ball commented there has been a good amount of short-covering in soyoil at the Chicago Board of Trade, as markets positioned themselves for an […] Read more