Reading Time: 3 minutes Even with some uncertainty in the last forecast, the weather models did a surprisingly good job. At one point it looked like I was going to have to send out an update as the models started trending toward a cooler pattern, but they quickly reversed back to a warm pattern. This brought the expected heat […] Read more
Prairie Forecast: Warm fall weather to continue
Issued Sept. 20, covering Sept. 20-27
Klassen: Stronger live cattle futures enhance feeder demand
Feeder cattle supplies look to be lower than anticipated
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian grass yearling prices were unchanged to $3/cwt lower on average. Steers held value but heifers had a softer tone. Calf prices were relatively unchanged from seven days earlier. However, weaker barley prices and stronger deferred live cattle prices limited any slippage. The calf market continues to be in price […] Read more
Prairie cash wheat: Spring wheat bids mixed, durum lower
StatCan raises projections for spring wheat harvest
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Bids for Western Canadian spring wheat were on both sides of unchanged while those for durum were lower for the week ended Thursday. Statistics Canada (StatCan) released its model-based principal field crop production estimates on Thursday, presenting a tightening wheat crop compared to that from 2022-23. All-wheat production was projected at 29.8 million […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: More demand for barley in Alberta
U.S. corn imports still expected to cap barley values
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — As Alberta’s harvest continued, yields and crop conditions have varied across the province, according to Erin Harakal, trade manager for Agfinity Inc. at Stony Plain, Alta. “There has been such a wide range across the map, it really depends on location,” she said. “We’ve seen some areas that are just below average of […] Read more
Prairie Forecast: One last push of summer-like temperatures
Issued Sept. 13, covering Sept. 13-20
Reading Time: 3 minutes As we work our way slowly into fall, we are starting to see a more fall-like pattern beginning to develop — especially when it comes to overnight lows. While the upcoming forecast does not look like we see a big fall cooldown, there is more and more deviation developing between different runs of the forecast […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market continues to consolidate
U.S. feeder cattle supplies seen tighter than expected
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian grass yearling prices were relatively unchanged. Yearlings over 800 lbs. on light grain rations or on diets mixed with silage were priced at $5 to as much as $20 discount to those cattle coming straight off pasture. Larger groups of uniform quality continue to trade at a minor premium […] Read more
Prairie cash wheat: Prices for reds rise, amber eases back
Harvest pressure, Canadian dollar also factors
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Wheat on the Canadian Prairies was mixed for the week ended Thursday, with gains for Canada Western Red Spring and Canada Prairie Spring Red wheats, while Canada Western Amber Durum slipped back. Kansas City winter wheat and Minneapolis spring futures were higher on the week to provide support for Canadian cash prices, but […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Harvest pressure keeps lid on prices
Domestic prices seen weighing on corn imports
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — As the harvest continued across the Canadian Prairies, pressure kept feed grain prices largely in check, according to Crystal Leitch of Market Master Ltd. in Edmonton. “We don’t see things changing too much because pricing is not what it was. There’s some hope that pricing is going to come back up, whether it […] Read more
Prairie Forecast: Summer trying to hang on
Issued Sept. 6, covering Sept. 6 to 13
Reading Time: 3 minutes The weather models seem to be in good agreement for this forecast period, with no strong storm systems expected to impact the Prairies, making for a fairly high-confidence forecast. This forecast period will start off with a generally west to southwesterly flow across the Prairies. A broad but weak area of low pressure is expected […] Read more
Rest of September to be warmer than normal for Prairies
Southern Prairies to remain drier than normal
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — As summer turns to autumn on the Canadian Prairies, the weather outlook for the rest of September is for temperatures to be warmer than normal, according to Scott Kehler, chief scientist for Weatherlogics. One of the factors in those forthcoming temperatures is the El Niño that has been developing over the last several […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
