Insights and Stories on Alberta

Flea beetle damage ‘moderate’ across Prairies so far

Jun. 22, 2020 at 7:35 pm CDT

MarketsFarm — Flea beetles, cutworms and diamondback moths are only a few of the pests Prairie farmers have to deal with — and this year, so far, damage from flea beetles and cutworms has varied, as have moth counts. “Flea beetles are common throughout the Prairies, everywhere we grow canola. […]

Klassen: Weaker fed cattle prices weigh on feeder market

Jun. 16, 2020 at 12:25 pm CDT

By Jerry Klassen

Feed weekly outlook: Barley prices close to ceiling

Jun. 11, 2020 at 6:05 pm CDT

By Glen Hallick - MarketsFarm

Klassen: Canadian feeder market divorces from U.S. values

Jun. 9, 2020 at 12:40 am CDT

By Jerry Klassen

Alberta deregulates fusarium

Jun. 5, 2020 at 7:12 am CDT

By Dave Bedard

Klassen: Feeder market recovery continues

Jun. 2, 2020 at 12:52 am CDT

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were $6-$8 higher on average while calves were unchanged to $4 higher. Strength in fed cattle prices was the main factor driving the feeder cattle market this week. Alberta direct fed cattle sales were reported on a live basis from $150 to […]

By Jerry Klassen

Feed weekly outlook: Cheaper corn to temper rising barley bids

May. 28, 2020 at 1:03 pm CDT

MarketsFarm — Rising feed barley prices in Western Canada may be nearing their upper limit, as end users look to add more cheaper corn to their rations. “The higher that barley and wheat get, the more attractive corn gets,” said Mike Fleischhauer of Eagle Commodities in Lethbridge. “If barley and […]

By Phil Franz-Warkentin

Klassen: Feeder cattle markets reflect mixed tone

May. 27, 2020 at 7:58 pm CDT

Compared to the previous week, western Canadian yearling prices were $2-$4 higher on average while calves traded unchanged to as much as $8 lower. Larger feedlot operations were actively bidding for 800-plus-lb. feeders across the Prairies due to the limited supply. Lower volumes were available this past week which was […]

By Jerry Klassen

Feed weekly outlook: Barley prices strong

May. 21, 2020 at 8:11 pm CDT

MarketsFarm — Feed grain prices across the Prairies have been stronger during the week ended Thursday, buoyed by rainy conditions in southern Alberta coupled with steady demand. “To fill the gaps, prices have had to go up,” said Allen Pirness of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge. Prices for feed barley […]

By Marlo Glass – MarketsFarm

JBS resumes second shift at Alberta beef plant

May. 21, 2020 at 4:50 pm CDT

Meat giant JBS’s Alberta beef packing plant has resumed two daily shifts as of Thursday, as fewer than a dozen of its 2,600-plus employees are now sidelined by COVID-19. The JBS plant at Brooks, about 170 km east of Calgary, is “slowly returning to two shifts as of today,” the […]

By Dave Bedard