Glacier FarmMedia — Feed barley prices are strengthening due to export demand, said an Alberta-based grain marketer.
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.”
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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).
