Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded steady to $2 lower while calves traded $3 higher to as much as $8 lower. Adverse weather across much of the U.S. Midwest set a negative tone on both sides of the border. U.S. feeder cattle markets were down US$3-$6 from seven days earlier. Corn futures […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market finds support
Alberta crop input retail groups’ deal off
Reading Time: < 1 minute A proposal to bring together two groups of central Alberta crop input retailers has been called off without closing a deal. Crop Management Network (CMN) said Friday the conditional deal it announced in March to buy Performance Ag Group won’t proceed. CMN, a joint venture between an employee-owned network of retail outlets and La Coop […] Read more
Mustard acres to decrease, but yield outlook strong
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — The most recent principal field crop acreage report from Statistics Canada predicts mustard seed area will drop from approximately 500,000 acres to 400,000 in 2019, concentrated mainly in southwestern, south-central, and west-central Saskatchewan. Although fewer acres are expected to be seeded, prime mustard-growing areas in Saskatchewan and Alberta saw precipitation in recent weeks, […] Read more
Alberta UCP’s trade critic named ag minister
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta’s new premier has tapped a not-quite-rookie MLA with experience in farming, farm policy and U.S. politics as his new minister of agriculture and forestry. Jason Kenney, sworn in Tuesday as premier, named Devin Dreeshen, the MLA for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake since last July, to handle the ag and forestry file. Dreeshen came to the UCP’s […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market remains volatile
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3-$5 on either side of unchanged. Many auction barns were closed last week and the ones holding sales had smaller numbers. Quality packages of yearlings were on the higher end of the range while smaller groups of fleshier replacements were discounted. Alberta feedlots were focusing […] Read more
Alberta ag minister Carlier downed in UCP win
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta’s incumbent agriculture minister was among the casualties as Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party defeated Rachel Notley’s New Democrats in Tuesday night’s provincial election. Oneil Carlier, the provincial NDP government’s minister of agriculture and forestry since May 2015 and deputy government house leader since February 2016, was unseated in his riding of Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland […] Read more
Klassen: Alberta demand drives feeder market higher
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were $2-$4 higher while calves were relatively unchanged. Stronger fed cattle prices in the deferred positions along with lower new-crop barley values resulted in a firmer tone. We’re in the last half of April and quality cattle will be hard to come by in 30 days; this […] Read more
Prairies can expect unexpected from El Nino this summer
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — The U.S. National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center on Thursday reported a 65 per cent chance of El Nino prevailing throughout 2019’s growing season. “A weak El Nino is likely to continue through the Northern Hemisphere summer 2019 (65 per cent chance) and possibly fall (50-55 per cent chance),” the CPC’s report said. […] Read more
Grain handler G3 to further expand Alberta footprint
Reading Time: 2 minutes Having started 2018 with zero grain elevators in the Alberta market, grain handler G3 expects to soon have five in progress. The Winnipeg company announced Wednesday it plans to start construction by this summer, pending regulatory approvals, on a pair of 42,000-tonne capacity elevators in the province, near Stettler and Irricana, for completion in 2020. […] Read more
Alberta confirms fourth PED outbreak
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta took another punch last week in its fight with porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), having confirmed the province’s fourth on-farm case of the disease. Officials with the provincial ag department and Alberta Pork haven’t said where the fourth case is located, nor how far it is from the three southern Alberta properties where outbreaks in […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
