Feed weekly outlook: Influx of cheaper U.S. corn pushing down prices

Weaker Chicago corn prices led to a 50-cent/bu. drop in Alberta feed barley, wheat

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Published: August 3, 2023

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(Geralyn Wichers photo)

MarketsFarm – Feed grain prices took a tumble this week in Alberta, said Susanne Leclerc of Market Master Ltd. in Edmonton.

“It’s kind of shocking. I know we had some harvest start in the southern part [of the province]. It seems to have really affected prices. Of course, corn got cheap with the futures dropping quite a bit,” Leclerc commented.

The September corn contract at the Chicago Board of Trade fell 52 cents per bushel over this week alone, with it closing at US$4.8825/bu. on Aug. 2.

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Leclerc said those weaker Chicago corn prices led to a 50-cent/bu. drop in Alberta prices for feed barley and wheat. Also, she noted more United States corn is being purchased.

In the latest export sales report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Canada purchased 21,000 tonnes of old crop corn along with nearly 66,000 tonnes of new crop during the week ended July 27. The report noted that about 529,000 tonnes of new crop corn has already been bought by Canada – a record for this time of year.

Prairie Ag Hotwire, in its region-wide compilation of grain prices, feed barley and wheat were mixed over the week. Old crop barley in Saskatchewan lost 40 cents, falling to C$7 to C$7.10 per bushel delivered, while it was unchanged in Manitoba at C$7.31 to C$7.50. However, it was up nine cents in Alberta at C$6.90 to C$9.47/bu. As for new crop, feed barley across the region ranged from C$6.90 to $7.20/bu. delivered, unchanged over the week.

Old crop feed wheat saw increases of 10 and 11 cents in Saskatchewan and Alberta respectively. In Saskatchewan prices were C$7.50 to C$10.35/bu., while C$8.15 to C$11.70 in Alberta. Wheat lost 11 cents in Manitoba to be at C$9.85/bu. New crop prices on the Prairies were C$7.50 to C$10.30/bu.

— Glen Hallick reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.

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