Reading Time: 5 minutes When you do a job well for a long time, it can sometimes go unnoticed — people simply get used it. That’s why every once in a while it’s good to take a step back and see things with fresh eyes. Agricultural research, for instance — just gets done. New varieties come out regularly, new […] Read more
Take a new look at the Western Grain Research Foundation
The organization is ready to embark on the next 40 years of funding vital crop and agronomic research to benefit western Canadian growers
Feed weekly outlook: Snowfall boosts spot barley bids
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Spot barley prices have received support from last weekend’s snows in southern Alberta, but the major barley-growing regions were mostly spared. While the cold and wet weather has delayed harvest activity, a promising forecast should allow for harvest to resume in the Red Deer area, where most of the barley crop is located. […] Read more
University’s ‘Beefier Barley’ billboard binned
Reading Time: 3 minutes A billboard about Alberta barley’s prospects under climate change in the University of Alberta’s ‘Truth Matters’ promotion — a series of ads meant to spark discussion about its researchers’ work — has been winnowed out of the campaign. Jacqui Tam, the Edmonton-based U of A’s vice-president for university relations, announced Sunday it would withdraw the […] Read more
Ample world malt barley supply to limit export prices
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Canadian malt barley growers may be dealing with adverse harvest conditions that could lead to quality downgrades in some areas — while world supplies of the key beer ingredient remain more than sufficient to meet global demand. “There’s no real indication at this time that we’ll see a significant up move (in price),” […] Read more
As harvest drags on, malt barley quality uncertain
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — The quality of Canada’s 2019-20 barley crop remains to be seen, as cool and wet harvest conditions across much of the Prairies are raising concerns over how much will meet malt specifications. “We’ll lose a lot of malting barley this year, because of the weather,” said Peter Watts, managing director of the Canadian […] Read more
Grain Farmers of Ontario seeking new CEO
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ontario’s biggest ag commodity organization is on the hunt for a new CEO as its first chief prepares to exit. Barry Senft announced Tuesday he will step down as CEO of Grain Farmers of Ontario in April 2020, a post he’s held since the 2009 merger of the province’s corn, soy and wheat grower groups […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market experiences mixed tone
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices traded $3-$5 on either side of unchanged. Auction market volumes are growing in Saskatchewan and Manitoba; however, central Alberta prices held a definite premium of $8-$10 over the eastern Prairie regions. Ontario orders are starting to surface in Manitoba but prices were out of reach with Alberta […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Barley bouncing back, reducing need for corn
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — This year has been proving good for barley, according to trader Allen Pirness of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge. “A lot of acres went in and that takes the edge off of supply,” Pirness said of the barley crop throughout southern Alberta. There had been a switch to corn in feed rations last […] Read more
StatsCan confirms record-large canola ending stocks
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Canadian canola ending stocks hit a new record for the 2018-19 crop year, according to updated data Statistics Canada released Friday. Canadian canola stocks as of July 31 came in at 3.9 million tonnes, up by 55 per cent on the year and about 800,000 tonnes above the previous record set in July […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: New-crop expectations weigh on bids
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Feed grain bids in Western Canada have trended lower over the past month amid expectations for large barley production and concerns over possible downgrades to wheat quality. “We’ve definitely seen (barley prices) soften up quite a bit,” said grain broker Nelson Neumann of Agfinity at Stony Plain, Alta. New-crop feed barley is trading […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
