(Dave Bedard photo)

Drought fears, fertilizer may affect Canadian acreage estimates

MarketsFarm — Traders and analysts awaiting Statistics Canada’s first survey-based acreage report for the 2022-23 crop year on Tuesday believe competition amongst crops — as well as their dependence on fertilizer, and the possibility of another drought this summer — will be determining factors. Canola stands as the best representation of traders’ concerns. Despite reaching […] Read more

AAC Brandon spring wheat planted at target plant stands of (left to right) nine, 21 and 33 plants per square foot at the Manitoba Agriculture Diversification Centre in Melita, Man., in 2021.

Should Manitoba Ag’s guidelines for target plant populations for spring cereal crops be adjusted?

Study concludes recommendations are good, even for newer, higher-yielding varieties

Choosing the right seeding rate for spring cereal crops is an important consideration for farmers looking for yield results that can maximize the return on their seeding dollars. A dense, uniform plant stand increases the crop’s yield potential, not only by reducing weed competition but also by compensating for plants lost to disease, insects and […] Read more


Jesse Meyer says winter cereals have been a big part of his family’s Peace River region farming operation for about 30 years. Winter cereals help spread out the workload, are an important part of risk management and are sought after in the marketplace.

Crop rotation built around winter cereals

For more than 30 years fall-seeded crops have been a key part of this Peace River region farm business plan

Growing winter cereals is anything but an afterthought on the Meyer farm in the central Alberta Peace River region. For the past 30 years, the family farm at Woking, which is about 45 minutes north of Grande Prairie, has included winter cereals in the rotation, and particularly over the past 10 years, winter crops have […] Read more

Aerial view of AGT Foods’ pulse plant at Aberdeen, Sask. (AGTFoods.com)

AGT building oat milling plant in Saskatchewan

Regina pulse processor AGT Foods plans to bulk up its portfolio in the plant-based ingredients business with a new oat milling operation in central Saskatchewan. The company on Thursday announced it would start construction “immediately” on the new operation, to be housed in an expansion of its existing processing plant just east of Aberdeen, about […] Read more


CBOT March 2022 oats (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, brown and dark green lines). (Barchart)

Oat prices, acres to rise in 2022, analyst says

MarketsFarm — An independent crop market analyst told Saskatchewan oat growers he is bullish for the crop in 2022. Brennan Turner, founder and former CEO of online crop marketing platforms FarmLead and Combyne Ag, delivered a presentation at the Saskatchewan Oat Development Commission’s (SaskOats) annual general meeting in Saskatoon on Wednesday. Turner, a Foam Lake […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Smaller crops likely in StatsCan survey-based report

MarketsFarm — Mindful of the summer drought conditions that seriously cut into crop production across the Prairies, average trade estimates call for downward revisions to Statistics Canada’s already-small forecasts for most crops when the it releases its first survey-based estimates of the marketing year on Friday. While prior reports, in September and August, were compiled […] Read more


New cereal varieties for 2022

New cereal varieties for 2022

Twenty-one new options for farmers in Western Canada

There are lots of new choices for cereal growers in Western Canada this winter. Twenty-one wheat, barley and oat varieties are coming to market for next year, with many of them featuring improved resistance to fusarium and rust diseases. Please note, the following list includes only brand new releases for 2022. Alliance Seed Oats: CDC […] Read more

CBOT December 2021 wheat (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (yellow line) and MGEX December 2021 spring wheat (dark green line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat extends climb on tight U.S. supply

CBOT soy down; corn and oats up

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures hit a six-week high on Friday, rallying for a second day in a row on smaller-than-expected stocks and production figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Corn futures followed wheat higher while soybeans fell to multi-month lows after USDA on Thursday reported larger-than-expected U.S. soy inventories. Chicago Board […] 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

CBOT December 2021 corn (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn down off four-week top

CBOT oats down off 7-1/2-year high; soy, wheat also down

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell more than one per cent on Tuesday on macroeconomic worries as the dollar strengthened and crude oil futures turned down, and on harvest-related selling as combines rolled in the heart of the Midwest crop belt, analysts said. Soybeans and wheat followed the weak trend. Chicago Board of […] Read more