Chickpeas. (CalypsoArt/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Chickpeas find high-priced silver lining

MarketsFarm — Like many other crops across Western Canada, chickpeas weren’t immune to hot and dry growing conditions over the summer. This year’s domestic chickpea crop is only expected to weigh in at 63,000 tonnes, according to Statistics Canada — less than one-third of the five-year average of 189,600 tonnes. In Saskatchewan, some parts of […] Read more

Cynthia Beck speaks during a webinar organized by the Canadian Cattlemen's Association. Chronic stress negatively affects our health and decreases our ability to be an asset to our operation. That makes managing it very important.

Chronic stress can affect health and decision-making

Understanding our body’s stress response can help us cope in healthy ways during difficult times

When a person takes unnecessary risks and makes decisions that are out of character for them, this could signal that they’re struggling with chronic stress. For example, the current frequency of bale theft across the Prairies might indicate that more people are “under a lot of chronic stress, and it could be impacting their decision-making […] Read more


(Viorika/E+/Getty Images)

Thunder Bay reports rare inbound grain shipment

MarketsFarm — Grain movement at the Port of Thunder Bay included a rare inbound cargo of feed wheat, according to the port’s latest monthly report. A 12,000-tonne shipment of feed wheat was delivered to Richardson’s Current River elevator from the company’s facility in Hamilton, Ont. The wheat was said to be destined for Manitoba feedlots, […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Smaller crops anticipated in looming StatsCan report

Survey-based data due out Monday

MarketsFarm — Heat and drought across Western Canada during the summer of 2021 seriously cut into the country’s crop production, raising traders’ expectations for reduced yields across the board when Statistics Canada on Monday releases its first production estimates of the year. Canola production is estimated at 11.5 million to 16 million tonnes, which would […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Ag department lowers crop production, export estimates

Expectations knocked down for most major Prairie crops

MarketsFarm — Canadian crop production will be down significantly in the 2021-22 marketing year, cutting into exports for all of the country’s major grains, oilseeds and pulse crops. That’s the estimation from the latest supply/demand estimates from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), released Thursday. Total field crop production for all crops is forecast to decrease […] Read more

CBOT December 2021 corn (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and dark green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn climbs on weaker crop conditions

Soybeans mixed, wheat eases

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn futures climbed on Wednesday for a second day after the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut crop ratings on Monday afternoon, though beneficial rainfall across parts of the upper U.S. Midwest limited gains. Soybeans ended higher after the market made its biggest daily gain since late June on Tuesday, with […] Read more


Boosting forage quality through ammoniation

Boosting forage quality through ammoniation

Anhydrous ammonia can improve poor-quality forage, but it comes with challenges and safety risks.

Ranchers and beef farmers who have sourced straw for their cows may now be looking for ways to boost the ration quality. Ammoniation is one option, but it’s not easily done.  Applying anhydrous ammonia is a “tried-and-true technique” for improving poor-quality forages, says Dr. John McKinnon, speaking during a Beef Research Council of Canada webinar on […] Read more

World Food Programme executive director David Beasley speaks during an interview with Reuters in Doha, Qatar on Aug. 24, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Alexander Cornwell)

Afghanistan ‘marching towards starvation,’ UN food chief says

Doha | Reuters — Millions of Afghans could soon face starvation due to a combination of conflict, drought and the coronavirus pandemic, the executive director of the World Food Programme said on Tuesday, calling on political leaders to act fast. “There’s a perfect storm coming because of several years of drought, conflict, economic deterioration, compounded […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Plans afoot to move hay from East to drought-hit West

CFA, BFO spearheading Hay West-style initiatives

Farm groups are spearheading new plans to get livestock feed from Eastern Canada to drought-damaged regions of the western provinces and northwestern Ontario. Details are still pending, but the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) announced Aug. 12 it has started work on a “Hay West” initiative to get surplus hay “to those struggling in the […] Read more

A barley crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on July 30, 2019. The Sask Stock Growers Association is calling for non-dwarf cereal varieties better suited to drought, a satellite-based forage insurance program, as well as other measures to enable producers to manage drought risks and make challenging business decisions.

Feed weekly outlook: New crop expected to stabilize feed prices

Drought will drag Prairies' yields much lower

MarketsFarm — New crop is starting to make its way into feed grain bins as the annual harvest gets underway in Alberta. However, due to the drought conditions which have enveloped Western Canada, yields will be much lower than normal. “(The yields are) generally lower than expected and (there’s been) some disappointment,” said Allen Pirness, […] Read more