MarketsFarm — Harvest activity in Alberta continues to progress despite wet weather during the past week, according to Mike Fleischhauer, trader for Eagle Commodities in Lethbridge.
“We had some rain here about a week to 10 days ago. So, it puts some people in Alberta and Saskatchewan a little bit behind,” he said. “It’s been pretty consistent here for the last three weeks. Lots of people are trying to take their grain off and make some room in the bin space.”
“We’ve been seeing lots of barley movement here over the last three or four weeks. Guys are chasing combines, getting the grain off and freeing up bin space for wheat and canola, for sure,” he added.
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While much of Alberta was under a heatwave at the end of August, he said it did not cause any damage to crops.
“(The crops have) been good. Because it’s been so hot to harvest in 30-plus degrees (C), the barley’s been really hot and (growers) have to put it on dryers right away. But the moisture’s coming in really well and definitely there’s been some good bushel weight. We’re seeing lots more of that 52 to 55 pounds (per bushel) barley and wheat’s been somewhat similar, as well,” Fleischhauer said.
Prices for feed grains in Alberta have slightly increased over the past week and Fleischhauer added they may still have room to go. The high-delivered bid for Alberta feed barley is $8.16/bu., 13 cents higher than last week and 33 cents lower than last month, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire. For Alberta feed wheat, the high-delivered bid is $11.02/bu., 14 cents higher than a week ago, but 27 cents lower than a month ago.
In Saskatchewan, the high-delivered bid for feed barley is $7/bu., a rise of 40 cents from last week and $1 from last month. For Saskatchewan feed wheat, the high-delivered bid rose 75 cents from last week and $1 from last month, to $10/bu.
Manitoba feed barley has a high-delivered bid of $6.50/bu., steady since last week, but 25 cents lower than last month. Meanwhile, feed wheat from the province has a high-delivered bid of $9.23/bu., down 13 cents from last week and 34 cents from last month.
— Adam Peleshaty reports for MarketsFarm from Stonewall, Man.
