Agfinity Inc. officially filed for bankruptcy on Nov. 25, just over a month since the Alberta grain brokerage shut down operations and laid off employees.
An ongoing lack of demand has forced feed grain prices to drop back recently, according to Darcy Haley, vice-president of AgValue Brokers in Lethbridge.
Glen Loyns, trader and general manager for JGL Commodities in Moose Jaw, Sask., said while the recent heat and dryness has reduced yield expectations, prospects of a decent harvest are still putting pressure on prices.
Susanne Leclerc, owner of Market Master Ltd. in Edmonton, said moisture levels in Alberta are not distributed evenly with the north seeing plenty of rain and the south becoming drier. A recent cold snap between Calgary and Edmonton plunged lows to around the freezing mark earlier this week, while snow fell over parts of the Foothills.
Sufficient supplies of domestic barley and wheat along with the ongoing influx of corn from United States, have continued to keep a lid on feed grain prices on the Canadian Prairies. That’s especially so in southern Alberta, according to Darcy Haley, vice-president of Ag Value Brokers in Lethbridge.
With farmers across Western Canada getting ready to plant their crops or they have already made a few rounds in the field, feed grain prices across the Prairies remained in a holding pattern, according to Jerry Klassen of Resilient Capital in Winnipeg, Man.
As growers prepare to seed in parts of Alberta, the lack of moisture during the winter continues to be a concern. However, a major snowstorm which brought various amounts of precipitation to the central part of the province has relieved some stress.