MarketsFarm — While prices for feed wheat and feed barley in Western Canada remain substantially higher than one year ago, the past month has seen slight declines.
As of Wednesday, high-delivered bids for feed wheat were at least $7.25 per bushel, more than $1.50 higher than last year according to Prairie Ag Hotwire.
However, over the last month, prices have held steady to decreasing by 13 cents. Feed barley was trading at $1.51 more than last year, but prices have moved between an increase of two cents to a decline of 15 cents.
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“Demand has been holding (steady) for the past little while,” said Erin Harakal, senior trader for Agfinity Inc. at Stony Plain, Alta. “A lot of feedlots right now are currently full for May and June, even into July. So they’re not eating as much grain going into the spring.”
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) released its monthly field crop outlook on Tuesday, with total carryout stocks of wheat except durum remaining largely unchanged at 4.85 million tonnes. Barley’s projected total carryout stocks for the 2021-22 crop year went down by 100,000 tonnes, to 700,000.
However, Statistics Canada will publish its field crop area survey on Tuesday next week, which will provide more insight on planting intentions. Harakal has been hearing from growers saying they intend to stick with crops they usually plant.
“They might substitute a couple of acres for canola, from what we’ve been hearing. Some are thinking (of growing) more barley. But it’s hard to say until we get more into seeding…It might be just business as usual,” she said.
— Adam Peleshaty reports for MarketsFarm from Stonewall, Man.
