WINNIPEG — Low prices for feed barley are expected to trend even lower as the crop moves further into harvest.
However, prices will likely recover in the fall, depending on how farmers act, says a market analyst.
“If the farmers aren’t willing to sell at these off-combine values, we’re going to see numbers recover sooner rather than later,” said Jared Seitz, trade manager at Agfinity, Inc.
According to the latest prices posted on Agfinity’s website, Alberta feed barley ranges from C$185.72 to $204.09 per tonne for August.
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Seitz said prices should stay flat throughout September, but once off-combine sellers are out of the market, prices will climb in October and November.
For now, prices are low and stagnant.
“We’re pretty well seeing lower prices every day now, and then there’s also not a lot of demand for off-combine barley,” he said.
Acres planted to barley this year rose to 6.5 million, a 10.7 percent increase over 2014.
Seitz said anticipation within the market is that barley production numbers are lower, but the crop recovered well from late July rain.
Statistics Canada is slated to release its first production estimates of the year on Aug. 21.
Barley harvest is already well underway in Alberta and has also begun in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
