(Thinkstock photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Weather, rising futures lift bids

Dry weather persisted for much of Prairies

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Dry weather for most of the Prairies, as well as rising wheat prices in the U.S., lifted western Canadian wheat bids, some to more than $400 per tonne, for the week ended July 6. With the exception of thunderstorms and sporadic precipitation in Alberta, dryness persisted across much of the Prairies, albeit with […] Read more

(Geralyn Wichers photo)

Feed weekly outlook: Falling corn prices not spurring new demand

Feed barley bids in Alberta, Manitoba up from month-ago

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Falling prices for U.S. corn futures on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) are having little effect on shipments going to Alberta feedlots, according to one grain buyer. The September corn contract fell to its lowest price since January 2021 when it dropped to US$4.79 per bushel on Wednesday, before closing at US$4.8525/bu. […] Read more


Grey skies over the Alberta landscape, July 2023. (Geralyn Wichers photo)

Prairie Forecast: Big change in weather pattern

Issued July 5, covering July 5-12

Reading Time: 3 minutes Most people have been saying that June felt like July and the weather statistics agreed. Well, if the weather models are correct, it’s looking like July will feel more like June — at least for the next forecast period. Here is the big picture before we dive into the details for each of the three […] Read more

File photo of a potato field in Alberta’s Lacombe County. (COrthner/iStock/Getty Images)

Alberta potatoes chip in $2.9 billion for Canadian economy

New report verifies what many in industry suspected

Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta’s potato industry is making a big impact — not just on that province but the entire country. A new report — dubbed a “landmark study” by the Potato Growers of Alberta — revealed the sector drove a total contribution of $2.87 billion to Canada’s economy in 2022. It also notes the nationwide creation of […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: U.S. feeder markets pull Canadian values higher

Feedlots aggressively seek U.S. corn

Reading Time: 2 minutes For the week ending July 1, western Canadian feeder markets traded $2-$5/cwt higher compared to seven days earlier. Quality groups of yearlings were up $8-$10/cwt from a week earlier. South of the border, major markets in Oklahoma had feeder steers and heifers trading US$5-$10/cwt above week-ago levels. The Canadian market is functioning to ration demand […] Read more

Mammatus-type clouds over Winnipeg on the evening of July 2, 2023. (Dave Bedard photo)

Prairie Forecast Update: Low lingers in Manitoba

Issued July 2, covering July 3 to 5

Reading Time: < 1 minute The overall forecast remains on track across both Alberta and Saskatchewan, so only a small update is needed for Manitoba. Across Manitoba, the area of low pressure that has been tracking across the northern half of the Prairie provinces is now forecasted to take a little longer to exit this region. The two main impacts […] Read more


MGEX September 2023 hard red spring wheat with 20-day moving average and K.C. September 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

Prairie cash wheat: Canadian bids drop with U.S. futures

Canadian dollar also down on week

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Spring wheat bids in Western Canada dropped sharply during the week ended Thursday, as a selloff in U.S. futures weighed on values. Average Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS, 13.5 per cent protein) wheat prices were down by $23.50-$25.40 per tonne across the Prairies, according to price quotes from a cross-section of delivery points […] Read more

(Warchi/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast: Alberta low to bring bit of a cooldown

Issued June 28, covering June 28 to July 5

Reading Time: 3 minutes After a fairly active weather pattern over the last few days, at least across the eastern half of the Prairies, it looks like most regions will see much quieter few days to start off this forecast period. Weak upper-level ridging combine with a broad but weak area of surface high pressure should bring typical summer […] Read more


(Orchidpoet/iStock/Getty Images)

Rail interswitching expansion pilot clears Parliament

Grain handlers to press for plan to be made permanent

Reading Time: 2 minutes Last week’s passage of the 2023 federal budget starts a 90-day countdown toward an 18-month test of expanded interswitching on railways in the three Prairie provinces. Bill C-47, the government’s budget implementation bill — which was first read April 20 in the House of Commons and got third reading in the Senate and royal assent […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Fed market supports feeder complex

Strength in loonie tempers market upside

Reading Time: 2 minutes For the week ending Saturday, western Canadian yearlings over 800 lbs. were relatively unchanged. Feeder cattle in the range of 600-700 lbs. were up $4-$8/cwt. The market was hard to define for feeder cattle under 600 lbs. due to limited numbers. Prices for quality calves were unchanged from seven days earlier while straggler types were […] Read more