Glacier FarmMedia | MarketsFarm — Feed grain prices on the Canadian Prairies very likely will not change much in the coming weeks, stated Darcy Haley, vice-president of Ag Value Brokers in Lethbridge.
“It’s pretty much ‘steady as she goes’ until something changes, either a lot of producer offers or the weather,” Haley said, noting demand otherwise won’t increase until October.
“I’ve got all kinds of barley for sale, but I can’t sell it because the price is too high,” he added.
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Haley said that barley is about C$320 per tonne. If the price slipped to about C$315 then more sales could be made.
He said he did sell some new crop barley for C$295/tonne on April 30, but to get another sale such as that would be very difficult.
Haley pointed out that the feed market could tumble rather quickly if the supply suddenly increased. He said farmers have been very good at holding their grain.
Added to that, pastures have started to turn green, meaning cattle producers need less feed. Also, those producers have less cattle as they’re not replacing them in sufficient enough numbers as there’s currently due to much risk in that market.
Prairie prices
Prairie Ag Hotwire reported feed barley was steady to slightly higher as of April 30. There was a four-cent increase in Alberta that brought old crop prices to C$5.01 to C$6.90 per bushel delivered. Saskatchewan held at C$5.25 to C$5.30/bu. with Manitoba firm at C$5.16.
It was pretty much the same story for feed wheat, with Alberta seeing a five-cent uptick at C$7 to C$8.90/bu. delivered. Saskatchewan held at C$7.50 to C$7.90/bu. and Manitoba was unchanged at C$5 to C$7.22.
