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Tighter supplies, solid demand underpin durum bids

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


(Country Guide file photo)

Prairie cash wheat: Bids mostly lower

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



Low falling numbers mean lower wheat prices

Low falling numbers mean lower wheat prices

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

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.


Four ways to avoid low falling numbers in grains

How accurate is the falling number test?

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


Barley south of Ethelton, Sask. on July 30, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Prairie barley groups back new research funding arm

The three Prairie barley growers’ groups are taking a more “collaborative” approach to longer-term national and regional research work on barley breeding. SaskBarley, Alberta Barley and the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association on Monday launched what they’ve dubbed the Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC), following a path similar to that of the three provincial […] Read more