Smoke rises from a wildfire near Wildwood, Alta., about 100 km west of Edmonton, on May 5, 2023. (Photo: Alberta Wildfire/Handout via Reuters)

Alberta farmers granted late AgriStability entry

Enrolment deadline now Sept. 29

Reading Time: 2 minutes Any Alberta producers who were considering AgriStability — but only in hindsight — for the income stabilization plan’s 2023 program year now have until Sept. 29 to apply. Ottawa and the province announced Aug. 4 that they’ve reopened the jointly-funded program, as wildfires and/or “extremely dry” growing conditions have dragged on many Alberta producers’ work […] Read more

File photo of a sunrise over an Alberta barley crop. (MNphotography/iStock/Getty Images)

Feed weekly outlook: Crop conditions, barley demand lower

Prices expected steady to lower for now

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — As combining operations begin, dryness continues to plague crops in many parts of Saskatchewan. But while crop conditions aren’t as bad as they were during the drought of 2021, according to trader Evan Peterson from JGL Commodities in Saskatoon, crops are still very parched. “Southern and western parts are very, very poor. But […] Read more


File photo of a Chinese cornfield. (Baona/iStock/Getty Images)

Rain in China’s northeast brings relief for corn, drought risk remains

An oversupply of hogs, weak demand are pressuring pork prices

Reading Time: 2 minutes Beijing | Reuters – Recent rainfall in China’s northeastern breadbasket has relieved drought across most of the region, an agriculture ministry official said Friday, but risks remain with the El Nino weather pattern potentially bringing more extreme weather this summer. China is the world’s second-biggest corn producer and about 40 per cent of its crop […] Read more

Crop conditions in parts of western Saskatchewan have already dropped into crop insurance range, Burce Burnett says. (WeatherFarm video screengrab)

At Ag in Motion: Significant Prairie yield drop expected

'A lot of damage done' by drought, Bruce Burnett says

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm has released its first yield estimates for Western Canada’s crops and the outlook is grim. Analyst Bruce Burnett just recently completed a crop tour covering most of Saskatchewan. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of good news on the crop front,” he told growers attending the Ag in Motion show in Langham, Sask. “There […] Read more


Barley south of Ethelton, Sask. in early August 2017. (File photo by Dave Bedard)

Feed weekly outlook: Dryness helps push up grain prices

Market seen shifting between 'no need' and 'giant need'

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — As dry conditions continued to take root across much of the Canadian Prairies, feed grain prices have for the most part been climbing, according to Susanne Leclerc of Market Master Ltd. in Edmonton. “The futures are coming up on quite a few commodities, so the prices have been coming up slightly,” Leclerc said […] Read more

Canadian Drought Monitor map as of June 30, 2023. (AAFC)

Much of Canada abnormally dry or in moderate drought

Southern Ontario among exceptions

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — In a stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans, a wide swath of Canada was contending with dryness, according to the latest report from the Canadian Drought Monitor. As of June 30, about 60 per cent of the country was abnormally dry to being in a moderate drought, with 76 per cent […] Read more


CBOT July 2023 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soy futures soar on dry weather worries

Chicago July wheat also higher

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures hit their highest levels in nearly two months and soybeans hit a one-month high on Thursday as forecasts for continued dry weather in portions of the Midwest crop belt raised concerns about yield prospects, analysts said. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) wheat futures surged about five per cent […] Read more

AAFC’s Drought Monitor map as of May 31, 2023.

Drought expands across Canadian Prairies

Dry conditions push eastward in Manitoba

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Warm and dry conditions across much of the Prairies in May caused drought conditions to worsen, especially in Alberta, according to the latest Drought Monitor report from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. As of May 31, an estimated 79 per cent of the Prairie region was classified as abnormally dry (D0) or in moderate […] Read more


CBOT July 2023 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn hits one-month high on weather worries

Soybean, wheat futures also advance

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn futures reached a one-month high on Friday as forecasts for dry weather in the U.S. Midwest kept attention on early risks to this year’s crop. Soybean and wheat futures also rose, with the agricultural markets posting weekly gains following recent declines to multi-month lows. Traders added […] Read more

Lentil plants in bloom. (BasieB/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Better growing conditions despite dryness, smoke

Continued smoky skies could slow crop development

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — While dry conditions persist across the Prairies, the current situation for pulses is not as bad as during the two previous springs, according to Pulse Canada’s director of market access and trade policy. Mac Ross said dryness is largely evident across Western Canada and many crops are still below their five-year averages for […] Read more