CNS Canada — Dry subsoil moisture conditions and a lack of snow cover in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan continue to create worries for many farmers.
Conditions range from abnormally dry in many areas to full-on droughts around Regina and some areas south of Calgary, according to Agriculture and Agri-food Canada.
Feed barley bids in the key cattle feeding area of Lethbridge were $1 weaker during the week ended Jan. 19 to range from $219 to $224 per tonne, according to the latest pricing information from the provincial government. Feed wheat prices also softened slightly, coming in at $221-$223 per tonne in Lethbridge.
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Crops in Saskatchewan are developing in opposite directions, the province’s latest crop report said. Growing conditions in the province vary, with some areas receiving enough rain while other locations are experiencing crop stress due to hot, dry conditions.
According to the latest information available from the Prairie Ag Hotwire, feed barley in Saskatchewan fell 10 cents over the past week to a range of $3.59-$3.75 a bushel. Next door in Manitoba, bids held steady at $3.63-$3.75.
Feed wheat prices in Saskatchewan rose five cents over the same period to a range of $4.40-$4.95 a bushel. Bids were roughly the same in Manitoba.
Oats went on a wild ride during the week, with an early rally giving way to profit-taking on Thursday. The March contract rose as high as US$2.78 a bushel on Wednesday before losing 17 cents the following day.
Bids for oats in Manitoba rose seven cents over the week. Prices were listed at $2.97 to $3.14 a bushel. Bids held steady in both Saskatchewan and Alberta. Saskatchewan bids came in at $2.53-$3.08 a bushel while Alberta’s were $2.40-$3.08.
In North Dakota, corn prices rose this week by four U.S. cents a bushel to a range of US$3.35-$3.75.
— Dave Sims writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Glacier FarmMedia company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting. Follow CNS Canada at @CNSCanada on Twitter.
