Alberta’s Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides announces funding for the University of Calgary’s faculty of veterinary medicine on May 10, 2022 at the university’s Spyhill campus. (Government of Alberta video screengrab via YouTube)

More funds put up to boost Calgary vet school enrolment

Funding added for more staff, materials on top of infrastructure money

Reading Time: 2 minutes The University of Calgary’s faculty of veterinary medicine, fresh off a major capital funding boost in February’s provincial budget, now gets another $8.4 million over three years to help expand enrolment. “This targeted enrolment funding will go towards hiring on more faculty/staff to teach the increased number of students,” Sam Blackett, press secretary for Advanced […] Read more


Chickpeas. (CalypsoArt/iStock/Getty Images)

Tightening supplies likely to underpin chickpea market

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Tightening worldwide chickpea supplies could bode well for prices later this year, although Canadian acres will likely be down and there’s still a long growing season ahead. Canadian farmers intend to seed 175,200 acres of chickpeas in 2022, which would be down 5.5 per cent from the previous year and the smallest acreage […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market starts seasonal rally

Ontario demand leads charge higher in Manitoba

Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $4 to as much as $6 higher on average. Calf markets were sharply higher. Auction barns in Manitoba reported calf prices up $8-$10 on average with certain pockets up as much $15. Calf markets in Alberta and Saskatchewan were up a solid $5-$8 from week-ago levels. […] Read more


(Government of Alberta via Flickr)

Alberta seeding ahead of five-year average

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — While spring planting in Alberta is 12.2 per cent complete overall there’s a disparity between the south and the rest of the province. Also, the pace was 2.6 points above the five-year average, but 5.2 behind last year. As of Tuesday, Alberta Agriculture found seeding in the south was at 36.5 per cent […] Read more

Standing corn north of St. Adolphe, Man. on Sept. 19, 2021. (Dave Bedard photo)

Feed weekly outlook: Corn trading higher than barley

Seeding begins in Alberta

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Imported corn from the U.S. is still the grain of choice for feedlots in southern Alberta, despite the fact feed barley is at a slightly lower price right now. Corn traded on Wednesday at around $480 per tonne ($12.19 per bushel) in Lethbridge, said Jim Beusekom, president of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge. […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feedlot demand up prior to seasonal rally

Market for calves 'boiling hot' in Manitoba

Reading Time: 2 minutes For the week ending April 30, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were quite variable. Yearlings traded $8 lower as much as $5 higher. Severe discounts were noted on fleshier cattle; some auction barns reported the bulk of cattle over 800 pounds were medium to heavier flesh. Deferred live cattle futures were under pressure but the […] Read more



(FIle photo)

Feed weekly outlook: Seeding on time in southern Alberta

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — As southern Alberta still reels from the effects of last summer’s drought, one trader expects spring seeding for feed grains to be on time. “I think it should be on schedule this year,” said Erin Harakal, trade manager for Agfinity Inc. at Stony Plain, Alta. Planting has already started in some places around […] Read more

Calves are being sold sooner than expected while cow culling rates are higher than normal.  Photo: Thinkstock

Klassen: Adverse weather tempers feeder cattle market

Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3-$4 on either side of unchanged. Southern Alberta experienced severe wind and dust storms last week which softened buying interest from a large portion of feedlot operators. At the same time, grass conditions are quite variable across the Prairies despite the recent precipitation. Cooler temperatures […] Read more