Canada could become a major grower and exporter of poppy seed or, perhaps, we could explore its oilseed and feed or food potential for the Prairies.

Poppy crops for Western Canada

Could this be an opportunity for Prairie farmers?

My interest in this topic was piqued by the fact that I purchased a pound of poppy seed at an Edmonton grocery outlet and it cost me more than $10. I checked the internet and the literature on poppy seed growing and was surprised to find that Australia, Turkey, the Czech Republic and even Britain […] Read more

Smoke billows upwards from the Donnie Creek wildfire south of Fort Nelson, B.C. n June 11, 2023. (Photo: B.C. Wildfire Service handout via Reuters)

Western Canada covered in smoke as wildfires loosen grip on Quebec

Over 200 of 449 wildfires now out of control

Ottawa | Reuters — Smoke shrouded Western Canada on Monday as wildfires flared again in the main oil-producing province of Alberta, while firefighters in Quebec doused some of the worst early-season blazes, allowing thousands of evacuees to return home. Canada is enduring its most destructive start to wildfire season, with about 4.8 million hectares — […] Read more


Forecast probability of above- or below-normal temperatures for the period from May 29 to June 26, 2023. Map issued May 25, 2023. (Map: Environment Canada)

A hot, dry Prairie June ahead

El Nino pattern could arrive

MarketsFarm — June is expected to see a continuation of the hot and dry weather most of the Canadian Prairies has experienced in May, according to Scott Kehler, chief scientist for Weatherlogics. “It looks like late spring/early summer is pretty hot across almost all of Western Canada. The Prairies are all above normal [temperature-wise],” Kehler […] Read more



Highest temperatures over the seven-day period ending Jan. 23, 2023. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Prairies’ warmer spell to be usurped by arctic front

MarketsFarm — While the Prairies have so far this month experienced rather non-January-like temperatures, a cold front coming south from the Arctic will soon descend on the region, according to Scott Kehler, president and chief scientist of Weatherlogics in Winnipeg. “What we are seeing is a big change in the weather pattern. For most of […] Read more

Yellow peas. (Victoria Popova/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: New Year’s pressure drags on North Dakota peas

Pea prices relatively higher north of border

MarketsFarm — Pea prices in North Dakota have been feeling pressure from the New Year, according to Landon Lechler of Beach Co-operative at Beach, N.D., about 360 km south of Weyburn, Sask. Besides the turning of the calendar New Year, Lechler said the upcoming Chinese New Year has slowed export demand for yellow and green […] Read more


(Mysticenergy/iStock/Getty Images)

Environment Canada sees ‘average’ Prairie winter ahead

MarketsFarm — An ‘average’ winter is in the forecast for most of the Canadian Prairies, according to the latest long-range seasonal forecast for December through February from Environment Canada, released Wednesday. The government department is calling for normal temperatures across all the agricultural areas of the three Prairie provinces — aside from the northernmost reaches […] Read more

File photo of a snow-topped field in Alberta. (Don White/iStock/Getty Images)

Cold, snowy start seen to Prairies’ winter

MarketsFarm — Although the official calendar start to winter isn’t until Dec. 21, conditions on the Canadian Prairies are now winter-like, according to Weatherlogics chief scientist Scott Kehler. “For the month of November, it looks like we’re off to a cold start for most of the Prairies. The western Prairies… had quite a significant winter […] Read more


(Viterra.ca)

Farmers’ wheat, canola deliveries picking up in West

Commercial canola stocks increase

MarketsFarm — The advancing Prairie harvest has seen an increase in farmer deliveries of grains and oilseeds into the commercial pipeline, according to the latest weekly data from the Canadian Grain Commission. Export activity for canola remains very light through the first six weeks of the 2022-23 crop year, but growing supplies in the commercial […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Prairie grain bids see surprising harvest strength

MarketsFarm — Feed grain bids in Western Canada have shown some strength in recent weeks, despite the advancing harvest. “We’ve been seeing a rally through harvest, which is an odd thing,” grain merchant Jay Janzen of CorNine Commodities at Lacombe, Alta. said. He tied the unseasonable strength to solid demand and a lack of significant […] Read more