Feedlot placements were up in mid 2021 meaning more cattle will be going to market in the fourth quarter of this year. Cow-calf producers are urged to hold onto their calves until at least December and even early 2022.

Try to hold calves until early 2022

Market Update: After burdensome supplies to end this year, demand and prices expected to rebound

Alberta packers were buying fed cattle in the range of $157-$158 during the latter half of September; this is up $3 to $4 from late-August values of $153 to $154. The fed cattle market is in a precarious situation. Beef demand tends to improve in the fourth quarter, however, fed cattle supplies from October through […] Read more






Wheat being loaded onto a cargo ship in Vancouver in 2011. (File photo: Reuters/Ben Nelms)

Exports tumble as supplies simply not there

'There's very little to sell'

MarketsFarm — Cereal and oilseed exports out of Canada nosedived in August just as the 2021-22 marketing began, according to the monthly export report from the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC). At about 2.24 million tonnes, total grain exports were down 38.5 per cent overall compared to those in August 2020. “There’s very little to sell. […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market continues consolidation

U.S. corn northbound into Prairies

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were relatively unchanged while calf markets were down $2-$3 on average. Feedlot inventories in Alberta and Saskatchewan are 30 per cent above the five-year average; therefore, demand is lacking moving into the main marketing period for calves. Finishing feedlots have sufficient ownership and being fairly finicky on […] Read more



(OceanFishing/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. spring wheat crop down sharply in 2021

MarketsFarm — Spring wheat production in the United States was down sharply in 2021, according to the latest annual small grains report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Total spring wheat production was pegged at 9.01 million tonnes by the government agency, down 44 per cent from the 15.99 million tonnes grown the previous year. […] Read more


A farmer applies micronutrients in the fall.

Micronutrient application tips

A look at copper, zinc and boron and other pointers on fertility application

Micronutrients may only be required in small doses, but that doesn’t make them less important to your crops, and fall can be a good time to address any deficiencies. “Much like nitrogen and phosphorus, micronutrients play a critical role in crop production and yield,” says Rigas Karamanos, senior agronomist with Koch Agronomic Services. Micronutrients make […] Read more

Photo: Thinkstock

Feed weekly outlook: Canadian markets firm, waiting on U.S. corn

MarketsFarm — Canadian feed grain bids remain strong, although end-users are only buying on a hand-to-mouth basis as they await an influx of cheaper corn imports from the U.S. “Everybody is waiting on the corn situation to figure out where we’ll go,” said Suzanne Leclerc, owner of Market Master Ltd. in Edmonton. “Buyers are buying […] Read more