File photo of a pea crop south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: Feed peas in short supply

Some feeders substituting soymeal

MarketsFarm — Hot and dry growing conditions cut into Canada’s pea production in 2021-22 — but the quality was relatively good, which means feed peas are in even shorter supply. “Yields were low across the harvest this year, but I’d say quality was quite good on yellow and green peas,” said a feed pea merchant. […] Read more

(Lentils.ca)

Pulse weekly outlook: Lentil prices steady to lower despite supply cuts

Lentil crop smallest in almost a decade

MarketsFarm — Just like many other crops in Western Canada, lentil production was cut sharply due to this year’s drought. Canada’s lentil crop was reduced by 37.2 per cent to 1.802 million tonnes for the 2021-22 marketing year, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) principal crop estimates from Friday. The total represents Canada’s lowest […] Read more


Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau (second from left) and Nate Horner (right), her Alberta counterpart, during a tour of Olds College’s Smart Farm on Thursday. (Photo: Olds College/Sergei Belski, www.oldscollege.ca)

Alberta looks for feed, Ottawa promises cash for B.C.

Alberta to help with veterinary testing after B.C.'s lab flooded, Alberta ag minister says

Even though supplies are low because of drought, Alberta is looking for feed to send to B.C. livestock producers, while Ottawa will provide emergency financial assistance to farmers dealing with flooding and closed roads in the hard-hit province. “We’ve been working with the B.C. department of agriculture,” Alberta Agriculture Minister Nate Horner said during a […] Read more

Standing corn north of St. Adolphe, Man. on Sept. 19, 2021. (Dave Bedard photo)

Feed weekly outlook: Record imports of U.S. corn likely

Feeders will need to scale back barley usage

MarketsFarm — Canadian imports of corn from the United States are picking up and could hit a record this year, given the tight supply situation across the Prairies. The most recent export sales data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed Canada as the country’s largest corn customer during the week ended Nov. 11, accounting […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Barley, wheat prices among highest ever

MarketsFarm — Feed grain prices continue to push higher following a somewhat disappointing harvest on the Prairies this year, according to Glen Loyns, general manager of JGL Commodities at Moose Jaw, Sask. “We’re seeing upticks on all feed. Everything is up. You’re seeing high prices on wheat and barley. And you’re going to continue to […] Read more



Photo: Canstock

Canadian canola oil content well below average

Canada’s hot and dry growing season in 2021 cut into the oil content of the country’s canola crop, with preliminary data pointing to the second-lowest oil content of the past two decades. Preliminary sample data compiled by the Canadian Grain Commission shows average oil content for number one quality canola in 2021/22 at 41.9 per […] Read more

A lentil field under irrigation had a portion of the crop located on a slight hilltop quickly yellow off, mature and slowly die off, while other parts of the field remained green and healthy.

Crop advisor casebook: Lentil trouble in Alberta

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the November 2, 2021 issue of Grainews

In July 2020, I was doing some routine scouting for Greg, who farms seed canola, wheat, lentils, seed alfalfa, flax, dry beans and corn in the Grassy Lake area. I noticed a lentil field under irrigation had a portion of the crop located on a slight hilltop quickly yellow off, mature and slowly die off, […] Read more


Photo: Thinkstock

Pulse weekly outlook: Winter price movement awaits chickpeas after harvest

MarketsFarm – Just like nearly all crops in Western Canada, chickpeas were not immune to drought conditions causing reduced yields. Approximately 64,000 tonnes of chickpeas were grown across the country for the 2021-22 marketing year, compared to the 214,000 tonnes grown in the previous year, according to last month’s production report from Agriculture and Agri-Food […] Read more

This 50-foot well, set up to automatically keep the trough full, kept a few dozen cow-calf pairs happy this summer. Recent rain has greened up the pasture so stock is still there September 10. Many mornings when I arrive, the cow-calf pairs are lounging around slaking their thirst and then they saunter off to find some grass. It has been fun to watch.

Les Henry: Your guide to finding water in the ground via wells

They’re often a good solution to the water problem in pastures

The drought of 2021 has left pastures with dry sloughs and dugouts. A good solution to the water problem in pastures is often a well, or multiple wells. Many former community pastures had several wells with old-fashioned windmills that filled the need in spades. In our soil salinity work of the 1980s and 1990s, we […] Read more