Prairie Forecast Update: Low pushes southeast instead

Prairie Forecast Update: Low pushes southeast instead

The area of low pressure that was predicted to develop over central Alberta on Monday, July 17th still looks on track to develop. This will mean clouds and showers over north-central regions of Alberta late on Monday and into early Tuesday. There may be some thunderstorms overnight Monday over south-central regions. This low was originally […] Read more

Barley south of Ethelton, Sask. in early August 2017. (File photo by Dave Bedard)

Feed weekly outlook: Dryness helps push up grain prices

Market seen shifting between 'no need' and 'giant need'

MarketsFarm — As dry conditions continued to take root across much of the Canadian Prairies, feed grain prices have for the most part been climbing, according to Susanne Leclerc of Market Master Ltd. in Edmonton. “The futures are coming up on quite a few commodities, so the prices have been coming up slightly,” Leclerc said […] Read more

(Geralyn Wichers photo)

Weather outlook not great for Prairie crops

U.S. northern Plains in a similar boat

MarketsFarm — Just when crops across the Canadian Prairies need rain, the outlook to the end of July according to Drew Lerner of World Weather Inc. pointed to conditions getting hotter and drier. “It does not look really good at the moment. We are going to see below normal rainfall and warmer than normal temperatures […] Read more

File photo of beluga whales in Hudson Bay off Churchill, Manitoba. (Lynn_Bystrom/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast: Large Hudson Bay low dominates

Forecast issued July 12, covering July 12-19

As the weather models correctly predicted, a large and extremely strong area of low pressure formed over Hudson Bay during the last forecast period, bringing the expected cool and unsettled weather to the eastern half of the Prairies. Over the western half of the Prairies a weak upper-level ridging brought, for the most part, sunny […] Read more

File photo of cattle in an Alberta feedlot. (Geralyn Wichers photo)

Alberta lifts feeder loan guarantee limit

Amendment boosts individual limit by 50 per cent

Alberta has boosted the limit on the size of loan available under its Feeder Associations Loan Guarantee program, aiming to help producers keep up against rising livestock prices. An order in council amending the provincial Feeder Associations Guarantee Regulation was approved Monday, raising that program’s individual and joint-membership loan limit to $3 million, from $2 […] Read more


(Geralyn Wichers photo)

Klassen: Feeder market consolidates at historical highs

Higher borrowing costs offset lower feed prices

For the week ending Saturday, western Canadian yearling steer prices were quoted $2-$4 higher; yearling heifers traded $2 higher to $5 lower. Calves were relatively unchanged although volumes were limited. Larger groups of quality genetics were well bid while second tier cattle were marginally discounted off the highs. Some ranches are liquidating yearlings about one […] Read more

(Thinkstock photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Weather, rising futures lift bids

Dry weather persisted for much of Prairies

MarketsFarm — Dry weather for most of the Prairies, as well as rising wheat prices in the U.S., lifted western Canadian wheat bids, some to more than $400 per tonne, for the week ended July 6. With the exception of thunderstorms and sporadic precipitation in Alberta, dryness persisted across much of the Prairies, albeit with […] Read more

(Geralyn Wichers photo)

Feed weekly outlook: Falling corn prices not spurring new demand

Feed barley bids in Alberta, Manitoba up from month-ago

MarketsFarm — Falling prices for U.S. corn futures on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) are having little effect on shipments going to Alberta feedlots, according to one grain buyer. The September corn contract fell to its lowest price since January 2021 when it dropped to US$4.79 per bushel on Wednesday, before closing at US$4.8525/bu. […] Read more


Grey skies over the Alberta landscape, July 2023. (Geralyn Wichers photo)

Prairie Forecast: Big change in weather pattern

Issued July 5, covering July 5-12

Most people have been saying that June felt like July and the weather statistics agreed. Well, if the weather models are correct, it’s looking like July will feel more like June — at least for the next forecast period. Here is the big picture before we dive into the details for each of the three […] Read more

File photo of a potato field in Alberta’s Lacombe County. (COrthner/iStock/Getty Images)

Alberta potatoes chip in $2.9 billion for Canadian economy

New report verifies what many in industry suspected

Alberta’s potato industry is making a big impact — not just on that province but the entire country. A new report — dubbed a “landmark study” by the Potato Growers of Alberta — revealed the sector drove a total contribution of $2.87 billion to Canada’s economy in 2022. It also notes the nationwide creation of […] Read more