(Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Canada’s oat acres look to rise in 2017

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada –– Canadian oat acres will likely be up in 2017, as relatively favourable cash prices draw in interest from producers, according to an oats merchandiser. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) oat futures have climbed sharply higher over the past month, but are still trading at a discount to the relatively steady cash market. […] Read more

(Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Rising oats bids possibly nearing top

Reading Time: < 1 minute Commodity News Service Canada – Oats futures at the Chicago Board of Trade and cash bids in Western Canada have shown some strength over the past month, but may not have much more room to the upside. “There was a bit of a panic in late October that pushed cash prices higher,” said Scott Shiels, […] Read more


(Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Oat crop quality varies with moisture damage

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — Oat quality is mixed across Western Canada, one buyer says, as moisture caused damage to not-yet-harvested grains. “Any oats that are still out there that have had substantial amounts of rain are likely not going to make milling spec,” said Ryan McKnight of Linear Grain. The portion of production usable for the […] Read more

(Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Oats face numerous pre-harvest question marks

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Oat producers are playing the waiting game when it comes to one of the most important things for oat crops: quality. “There’s always a concern about quality and you never know where that is going to be until harvest,” said Art Enns, president of the Prairie Oat Growers Association at Morris in […] Read more


Chicago oats rally with Prairie rains, for now

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — Oat prices at the Chicago Board of Trade have advanced as rain soaks Canada’s crops, but one U.S. analyst doesn’t expect those gains to hold. Close to half of Canada’s seeded oat area is in Saskatchewan, Statistics Canada data shows, and some parts of the province have seen heavy rains and flooding. […] Read more

Cash oats disconnect from falling futures

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Oat futures at the Chicago Board of Trade may be trending lower, but any further losses in the futures will only cause basis levels in the Canadian countryside to widen further, as farmers are reluctant to sell below their targeted levels. The delivery specs against CBOT oats futures are not milling quality, […] Read more


(Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Pressure on oat prices sends farmers scouting other crops

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Lukewarm prices for oats, coupled with dry conditions in Alberta and soggy conditions in Manitoba, are crimping acreage this year. Generally known as one of the hardier crops around, oats haven’t been setting any record highs on price charts, resulting in a forecast of 11 per cent less acreage in Canada. “The […] Read more

Photo: Prairie Oat Growers Assoc.

Five tips for a successful oat crop

Oats is a small-acre crop that has tended to fall behind in terms of agronomy research. That’s changing as more oat varieties become available and new niche markets continue to develop and offer premiums to growers meeting their specifications. For anyone trying oats for the first time, or considering adding oats to their rotation, soak[...]
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(Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Oats’ buyers, sellers far apart on price

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — Farmers with oats to sell and end-users willing to buy them are far apart in terms of price right now, limiting how much business is actually taking place. Major U.S. customers are well covered for the time being, “with enough to last for a few months worth of milling,” said Ryan McKnight[...]
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(Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Higher oat stocks expected, CBOT futures weak

Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) oats are relatively weak, but fairly priced from where one U.S. analyst sits — and traders are looking to an upcoming Statistics Canada report for indication on where to move next. “Just looking at the market in general, oats are somewhat cheap, but right now I think[...]
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