Cereals & Production Tips

Along with three other owner/operators, Enns manages 10,600 acres of grains near Rosthern, Sask.

Making malt barley: six tips for success

Top malt barley growers offer their advice to get your barley crop to make malt 

By Melanie Epp January 31, 2020

Barley produced for malting must meet strict quality standards before acceptance by end users. A crop that doesn’t make malt will be sold off as feed, often at considerable economic loss. Two large-scale malt barley producers share their tips on which management practices they employ to ensure their crop makes malt. John Burns is part […] Read more

Barley. (Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Barley, Crops, Markets, Spring Wheat

Feed weekly outlook: Rally likely to end soon

By GFM Network News January 30, 2020

MarketsFarm — After a bit of a rally for feed grain prices over the last three to four weeks, the feedlots are on the full side, said Brandon Motz of CorNine Commodities at Lacombe, Alta. “That normally means we back off a little bit,” he said, noting there hasn’t been an uptick in deliveries with […] Read more

File photo of an Alberta wheat field. (ImagineGolf/E+/Getty Images)

Crops, Markets, Spring Wheat, Winter Wheat

IGC calls for more wheat despite lowering global forecast

By GFM Network News January 29, 2020

MarketsFarm — At close to 1.03 billion tonnes, there’s going to be more wheat in the world in 2019-20 than in the previous marketing year, according to the latest outlook from the International Grains Council (IGC). The London-based organization released its report on Jan. 23, in which it revised its previous forecast — but with […] Read more

Crops, Markets, Spring Wheat

Prairie cash wheat: Bids generally higher

By GFM Network News January 25, 2020

MarketsFarm — Wheat bids in Western Canada for the week ended Thursday were up for CWRS and CPSR, while durum (CWAD) bids were mostly higher. The Canadian dollar was down by more than a half cent during the week. Average CWRS (Canada Western Red Spring, 13.5 per cent protein) wheat prices ranged from up $3-$5 […] Read more

Barley, Crops, Markets

Feed weekly outlook: Temperatures rise, Prairie bids cool down

By GFM Network News January 24, 2020

MarketsFarm — Feed grain bids in southern Alberta are cooling down as temperatures warm up after a bitter cold spell earlier in the month. After dealing with temperatures in the -20 C to -34 C range over much of the week ended Jan. 17, conditions in the key Lethbridge feeding area have flipped the other […] Read more

Cereals, Crops, Markets

Tighter supplies, solid demand underpin durum bids

By GFM Network News January 20, 2020

MarketsFarm — Tighter global supplies are keeping the Canadian durum market well supported this winter, with firmer prices likely when the Port of Thunder Bay reopens for the spring. “We’re seeing a very strong export demand for durum,” said Jerry Klassen, manager of Canadian operations for Swiss-based GAP S.A. Grains and Products in Winnipeg. Canada […] Read more

Crops, Markets, Spring Wheat

Prairie cash wheat: Bids mostly lower

By GFM Network News January 17, 2020

MarketsFarm — Wheat bids in Western Canada were mostly lower for the week ended Friday. Losses were observed in Canada Western Red Spring Wheat (CWRS) and Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR), with durum (CWAD) slightly higher. Average CWRS (13.5 per cent protein) wheat prices were down by about 50 cents to $1 per tonne, according […] Read more

Barley, Crops, Markets, Spring Wheat

Feed weekly outlook: Best not to wait to sell

By GFM Network News January 16, 2020

MarketsFarm — As warmer winter temperatures are bound to happen, the sooner farmers can sell their feed grain the better, said Nelson Neumann, senior trader for Agfinity at Stony Plain, Alta. “There’s still a lot of high-moisture feed grain that’s in storage and frozen,” he said, commenting “I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a […] Read more

Cereals, Crops, News

Low falling numbers mean lower wheat prices

Grain buyers’ falling numbers tests are finding evidence of pre-harvest sprouting

By Angela Lovell January 13, 2020

A wet fall across the Prairies provided the ideal conditions for pre-harvest sprouting in cereal crops. As a result, falling numbers tests have come to the fore as a quality assessment tool for buyers, with some grain companies performing a falling test on all wheat samples before purchasing. While, for the most part, harvest conditions were the […] Read more

The falling numbers test estimates the amount of sprouting in wheat, barley or rye. It measures the amount of alpha-amylase, an enzyme important in germination, which is present in the grain.

Cereals, Crops

Four ways to avoid low falling numbers in grains

How accurate is the falling number test?

By Angela Lovell January 13, 2020

1. Harvest as soon as possible Try and harvest wheat as soon as possible after maturity. The longer it stays in the field once mature, the higher the risk of sprouting if it rains. On the other hand, don’t harvest too early — green kernels can have high alpha-amylase content to provide fuel for grain […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures slide on human screwworm case report

U.S. grains: Soybeans fall as hopes for Chinese demand wane; corn, wheat firm

Alberta Crop Report: Two sides of the same weather coin

GFM Network News