cattle in a feedlot

Feed grain outlook for 2018

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

Once again it is that time of year when I receive many inquiries from cattle producers with regard to the price outlook for feed grains. At the time of writing this article, Lethbridge area feedlots were buying feed barley in the range of $218/mt to $223/mt; however, feedlots located between Calgary and Edmonton were making […] Read more


(iStock photo)

Pork exports key in 2018 as U.S. slaughter ramps up

CNS Canada –– Canadian pork producers should see higher returns for their product in the spring of 2018, but whether those prices last may determine how successful Canada is at tapping new markets. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture supply estimates, weekly U.S. hog slaughter numbers over the past two months have averaged 2.369 million […] Read more

A two-row Bentley base malt. (RedShedMalting.ca)

Alberta malt barley quality looking good

CNS Canada — Despite a wet spring and problems with dryness in the summer, barley in central Alberta is looking fairly good, according to a grower in the Red Deer area. “We had a really good malt crop this year, the quality is excellent,” said Matt Hamill of Red Shed Malting at Red Deer. “It […] Read more


BASF’s promotions for pre-harvest use of Heat LQ have until now focused strictly on crops such as soybeans, peas, canola, dry beans and sunflowers. (Agro.basf.ca)

Heat LQ cleared for pre-harvest use in wheat, barley

Wheat, durum and barley growers have a new pre-harvest herbicide option now that BASF has received Codex maximum residue limits (MRLs) for its product Heat LQ. While “there were probably some wheat acres already harvested,” according to Dan Packer, BASF’s cereals crop manager, this agreement will provide an additional pre-harvest option for farmers who still […] Read more



(Canada Beef Inc. photo)

Prairie wheat, barley commissions’ single checkoffs set

The post-deregulation era of Prairie grain research and market development funding is cleared to begin, as the three Prairie provinces’ wheat and barley commissions have set new single checkoffs on Prairie wheat and barley, all starting Aug. 1. The Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association (MWBGA) on Wednesday announced that when the Western Canadian Deduction […] Read more

Why variety matters when growing barley for silage

Why variety matters when growing barley for silage

Nutrition with John McKinnon

When growing silage, particularly barley silage, most producers select varieties with proven agronomic traits such as yield, disease and lodging resistance. In contrast, relatively little information is available on the nutritional value of the numerous barley varieties that are available for seeding. Recently a joint research project was run at the University of Saskatchewan and […] Read more


The feed barley outlook

The feed barley outlook

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

It’s that time of year when I receive many calls from cattle producers with regard to the price outlook for feed barley. This past winter, feed barley in southern Alberta has readily traded in the range of $155/mt to $165/mt delivered, while values in central Alberta are usually a $10/mt discount. The 2016-17 crop year […] Read more

A canola field in northwestern Saskatchewan on Oct. 5, 2016 after the area was blanketed by wet snow.  (Lisa Guenther photo)

StatsCan data confirm tight canola supplies

CNS Canada — Grain and oilseed stocks data released Friday from Statistics Canada were bullish for canola and wheat — though analysts suggest the effects of the report on the market may be short-lived. Figures for barley, lentils and peas were above year-ago levels, but movements in those markets are more likely be driven by […] Read more