(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Prairie feed barley softens as packers bid up cattle

CNS Canada — Feed barley prices in the Lethbridge area are showing signs of softening as the February lull approaches and warmer weather moves into the province. According to Allan Pirness of Market Place Commodities, both feed barley and feed wheat prices are around the $220 per tonne mark, down a touch from the pre-Christmas […] Read more

(CropScience.Bayer.ca)

BASF’s new Canadian stake to include three plants, 300 staff

Among the major players still in the world’s crop protection and seed business, remaining competitive comes at a cost. To be sure, several smaller companies remain in the game — but with marriages now consummated for Dow Chemical and DuPont, and for Syngenta and ChemChina, Bayer’s pending takeover of Monsanto and, now, BASF getting set […] Read more

Officials break ground for Cavendish Farms’ new potatp plant at Lethbridge on Sept. 18. (Alberta.ca)

Alberta, feds back Lethbridge potato processing plant

The federal and Alberta governments are set to cover over $22 million in costs related to the construction of Cavendish Farms’ new potato processing plant at Lethbridge. The two levels of government on Monday announced $20 million for the City of Lethbridge for related municipal infrastructure developments, through the federal/provincial Clean Water and Wastewater Fund […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Lethbridge demand drives up yearling market

Western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $5-$8 above week-ago levels. The first major yearling sales occurred in southern Alberta, which appeared to kick-start the buying momentum. Alberta fed cattle prices and wholesale beef values were under pressure; however, feedlot operators were extremely tenacious. Buyers capriciously worked orders throughout the week and by the Friday, quality […] Read more

(Staff photo)

Online livestock supply store expands reach west

An Ontario livestock nutrition firm’s venture into online retail for producers is expanding into the Prairie provinces with four pickup and ordering points in the region. Cambridge, Ont.-based GVF Group announced Thursday its Farmers Farmacy business, previously available only to producers in Ontario, the Maritime provinces and Quebec, now also serves Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. […] Read more


Unveiling a rendering of Cavendish Farms’ planned new Lethbridge plant (close-up below) are (l-r) 48-year Cavendish employee Gerry Patterson; Cavendish’s Lethbridge director of operations, Lee Gleim; Cavendish’s senior vice-president Ron Clow, Cavendish president Robert Irving; Alberta Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier; Lethbridge Mayor Chris Spearman; Trevor Lewington, CEO of Economic Development Lethbridge; and potato grower Greg Nakamura. (Photo and graphic courtesy Cavendish Farms)

Irving’s potato arm plans new plant for Lethbridge

Cavendish Farms, the potato arm of J.D. Irving Ltd., is set to build a $350 million frozen potato processing plant at Lethbridge to double its local capacity and replace the old York Farms plant it owns there. Moncton-based Cavendish announced Monday it has picked up Lethbridge city hall’s approval to buy a new plant site […] Read more


Richardson International’s canola crushing facility at Lethbridge, shown here in July 2016. (Photo courtesy Richardson International)

Richardson cranking up canola crush, throughput at Lethbridge

Agrifood firm Richardson International plans to put up $120 million to dial up the processing capacity of its canola crushing plant in southern Alberta by over 55 per cent. Privately-held, Winnipeg-based Richardson said Wednesday the new upgrades at its Lethbridge plant are expected to boost its peak annual crush to over 700,000 tonnes of canola per year, […] Read more


(Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Lethbridge feed barley’s spring rally muted

CNS Canada — Lethbridge feed barley should be seeing its largest premium over fall and winter months, but so far this year the market’s spring rally has been limited. “This year all we’ve seen is a $5 to $10 per tonne move higher,” said Jim Beusekom, analyst at Market Place Commodities. “So it’s pretty minimal […] Read more

(Canada Beef Inc. photo)

Buyers eating up Lethbridge feed barley

CNS Canada –– Lethbridge feed barley prices have strengthened on bargain buying, according to one market watcher, while demand for feed wheat is steady at best. Lethbridge barley prices have increased from $200-$205 in January to $205-$215 in February, as the grain becomes more difficult to source, said Jim Beusekom, president at Market Place Commodities. […] Read more