Canada, AB: More demand for barley in Alberta

As Alberta’s harvest continued, yields and crop conditions have varied across the province, according to Erin Harakal, trade manager for Agfinity Inc. at Stony Plain, Alta., Farmtario reported on September 17.

“There has been such a wide range across the map, it really depends on location,” she said. “We’ve seen some areas that are just below average of what they typically get. Some of them are average and others are (producing) basically half of what they usually get. It’s been quite the range across Western Canada.”

Harakal added that while corn imported from the U.S. is still the crop of choice for most feedlots in Alberta, there are many ordering more barley.

“Barley’s in demand, but we’ve been seeing more barley for north of the Lethbridge area, like Calgary and into the feedlots like in the Provost and Edmonton areas,” she said. “When it comes to demand, it’s not quite there. It’s starting to pick up just as we get more cattle on feed. Things are starting to really progress right now.”

September/October barley in feedlot alley was priced at C$325-C$335 per tonne (C$7.08-C$7.29 per bushel) delivered, while November/December barley was in the C$340-C$345/tonne (C$7.40-C$7.51/bu.) range, according to Harakal.

However, she is uncertain whether there will be large price increases later this year — “just because we’re bringing in quite a bit of corn, which I think is going to have an effect on barley and put a cap on (it).”

Prices for Alberta feed barley were steady compared to the previous week from C$5.75 to C$7.94/bu. as of September 13, according to Prairie Ag Hotwire. In Saskatchewan, they were down 10 cents/bu., from C$5.50 to C$5.90, while in Manitoba, they were down 23 cents/bu., from C$5.25 to C$6.28.

For feed wheat, prices in Alberta were steady from C$7.71 to C$10.48/bu., as well as in Saskatchewan from C$7.50 to C$9.10/bu. In Manitoba, the high-delivered bid was C$8.53/bu., up five cents on the week.

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