Winnipeg | Reuters –– Soybeans, once a novelty in western Canadian fields, are poised to reach record-large acreage again this year, and some of the world’s biggest seed companies are betting they have further room to grow in a region known for wheat and canola. Farmers on the eastern side of the Prairies are turning […] Read more
Soybeans cut swath through Prairie wheat belt
Klassen: Uncertainty looms for feeder cattle market
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were steady to as much as $5 higher over the past week. Lighter-weight calves under 600 pounds experienced notable gains, while stronger buying interest was also noted on medium- to lower-flesh backgrounded cattle in the 800-pound-plus category. Major feeding operations were quick to discount cattle that appeared to have too […] Read more
Optimism for Canada to plant 100K acres to sunflowers
CNS Canada — Wet weather may have cost western Canadian producers 20,000 acres of sunflowers last year, according to one industry watcher who’s hopeful 2015 will be a little kinder. “We were anticipating over 100,000 acres last year and as it turned out we came into that 80,000 range,” said Ben Friesen, purchasing manager for […] Read more
Big crops causing big headaches
Reading Time: < 1 minute Bruce McFadden has seen the future — and it looks congested. While Ottawa’s grain-movement edicts have captured headlines, the director of research for Quorum Corp., the federal grain monitor, has been looking at numbers. Big ones. Stats Canada initially estimated Western Canada’s 2014 harvest at 57 million tonnes, which when combined with carry-over, meant a […] Read more
Oats prices drop to two-and-a-half-year lows
CNS Canada –– Oats prices at the Chicago Board of Trade dropped to their weakest levels in two-and-a-half years over the past week, and cash bids in Western Canada have followed suit. While the largely speculative price drop could bring in more bargain-hunting demand, both end-users and farmers have moved to the sidelines for the […] Read more
Klassen: Strong demand at feature calf sales
Last week saw many auction barns holding their largest volumes of the year and there was no shortage of buying interest at these feature sales. Major feedlot operators were aggressively shopping because quality and risk sentiment appear to be more favourable this time of year. Calves have withstood adverse winter conditions for a couple of […] Read more
CWRS wheat bids edge down in Western Canada
CNS Canada — Average cash bids for Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat moved lower during the week ended Friday, with adjustments to basis levels behind much of the declines. In Manitoba, the average CWRS price declined to $232 per tonne, from $234 the previous week. Similar losses were noted across the rest of the […] Read more
Prairie spring wheat bids rise with U.S. futures
CNS Canada –– Average cash bids for Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat moved higher during the week ended Friday, as strengthening U.S. futures provided support. In Manitoba, the average CWRS price rose to $234 per tonne, from $223 the previous week. Similar gains were noted across the rest of the Prairies, with average prices […] Read more
Klassen: Healthy feeding margins support feeder cattle market
Western Canadian feeder cattle price volatility continues while average prices remain near historical highs. Fancier minimal-flesh quality calf prices experienced spurts of $5 to $8 above average levels as exotic steers averaging 780 pounds reached up to $246 in central Alberta. Similarly, a small group of quality 750-lb. steers touched $252 at a feature sale […] Read more
Organic business directory now available
Reading Time: < 1 minute The 2014 edition of the Western Canadian Organic Business Directory is now available. The directory lists all companies providing services or processed products to businesses in the organic sector. “We have been hearing from the organic business community that they just don’t know what companies serve the organic sector,” said Becky Lipton, the executive director […] Read more
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