Photo: File

Crop reports stoke hay shortage concerns

MarketsFarm – Rainfall varied across the Prairie provinces during week ended August 2, as concerns of a hay shortage continue. Approximately 39 per cent of the hay crop in Saskatchewan is now baled or stored. While hay quality is 55 per cent good-to-excellent, yields have been well below normal across the province. According to the […] Read more

New crop barley bids are between C$225 and C$230 per tonne.  Photo: File

Feed weekly outlook: Barley prices soften before harvest

MarketsFarm – As harvest season kicks off for feed grains, new crop prices are at “market-clearing levels.” Allen Pirness of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge, Alta., said cattle farmers are “in pretty good shape for old crop grain,” and are “waiting for new crop to hit.” “It’s taking its toll on prices a little bit, […] Read more


A slow start for some crops has put them a few weeks behind schedule in development that could expose them to frost later in the season.  Photo: File

Pulse weekly outlook: Saskatchewan crops rally after rough spring

Winnipeg | MarketsFarm – Pulse crops across the prairies have largely bounced back after rough growing conditions in the spring and early summer, but they’re not out of the woods just yet. “It’s been an abnormal year,” remarked Carl Potts, executive director of Saskatchewan Pulse. Potts explained that in Saskatchewan, widespread dryness early in the […] Read more

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Chicago Board of Trade waiting on (any) news

MarketsFarm – Grain markets on the Chicago Board of Trade are “falling of its own weight” due to removed technical levels and a lack of substantive news to influence markets. “There’s just no news to generate any upside swing,” said Steve Georgy, President of Allendale Inc. in McHenry, Illinois. “Some technical levels were removed, and […] Read more

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Cattle volumes remain low as pasture conditions improve

MarketsFarm – Manitoba cattle markets observed characteristically light volumes during week ended July 26, due in part to improving pasture conditions. “There hasn’t been any panic-selling in the western and southern parts of the province,” agreed Rick Wright of Heartland Order Buying Co. Wright mentioned the Northeast region of the province is drier than most, […] Read more


Alberta Pulse Growers expects this year’s lentil harvest to maintain five-year average yields.  Photo: File

Pulse weekly outlook: Canadian lentil prices remain stable

MarketsFarm – Early summer was characterized by concerns that dry, hot weather across the Canadian Prairies would impede lentil yields. However, recently improved growing conditions meant lentil crops have stayed largely stable. “It’s a completely different scenario now than it was two weeks ago,” said Darwin Hamilton of Kalshae Commodities in Winnipeg. “A month ago […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Grain prices softer ahead of harvest

MarketsFarm — Feed grain prices have softened ahead of harvesting season, due in part to improving growing conditions and a stronger Canadian dollar. Drought conditions earlier in the summer had threatened Prairie crop yields and buoyed feed grain prices, but the weather premium has subsided thanks to recent rains. “Rain showed us we’ll have a […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Prairie hay shortage on horizon

MarketsFarm — While rain across the Prairies has eased concerns of an all-out drought, worries of a hay shortage going into winter haven’t ceased. Darren Chapman, a Virden, Man. producer and chair of the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA), explained that regrowth following the first cut of hay has been strong. First-cut hay crops […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Flax prices muted

MarketsFarm — Flax yields are expected to be average at harvest season, thanks to the combination of more seeded acres and inclement growing conditions. Export numbers have been lower in recent years, due in part to China having opted to import flax from other countries besides Canada. According to an early 2019 report from FarmLead, […] Read more

A chickpea crop in India. (Nikhil Patil/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Weather threatens India’s crops

MarketsFarm — India is experiencing abnormal rain and weather patterns that have resulted in almost half of the country receiving drastically less rain than usual. In total, the entire country is experiencing about 12 per cent less precipitation than is normally expected. Particularly, provinces in India’s key pulse-growing region are experiencing significant droughts during a […] Read more