Field production of hemp for CBD oil, cooking oil, protein, fibre and animal feed might soon become an important part of prairie agriculture.  |  File photo

Hemp’s sustainable success rises with use of whole plant

Prairie farmers need another profitable crop for their rotations to relieve the pressure on canola to pay the bills. Hemp might be that crop. Canada legalized the recreational use of cannabis a year ago, unleashing a torrent of investment and news coverage, but for broadacre farmers, that is important only in that it also added […] Read more

Jim Carr, at the time international trade minister, talks to Brian Chorney of the Manitoba Canola Growers Association last November about an upcoming trade mission to China. Canada’s relationship with the Asian country has since deteriorated significantly.  |  File photo

Canada’s relationship with China not dead

With a heavy November snow falling, smiles were everywhere. Chilly weather wasn’t enough to cool the optimism that gripped a group of Canadian farmers’ international representatives as they shared delicacies made from Canadian beef, pork, canola, grain and other prairie farm products in a park in central Winnipeg. These political, government, industry and farmer reps […] Read more

Canfax report

This cattle market information is selected from the weekly report from Canfax, a division of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. More market information, analysis and statistics are available by becoming a Canfax subscriber by calling 403-275-5110 or at www.canfax.ca. Strong market ahead Fed steers averaged $147.01 per hundredweight last week, down slightly from the previous week, […] Read more


WP livestock report

Hogs The U.S. national live price average for barrows and gilts was $35.46 per hundredweight Nov. 22, up from $34.35 on Nov. 15. U.S. hogs averaged $41.91 on a carcass basis Nov. 22, up from $42.73 Nov. 15. The U.S. pork cutout was $83.07 per cwt. Nov. 22, down from $88.13 Nov. 15. The estimated […] Read more

Activity at the Chicago Board of Trade during the last week of November was slowing down as traders moved to the sidelines ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, with attention expected to focus on trade talks when activity picks up in December. | File photo

CBOT soybeans/corn stuck waiting on trade news

Winnipeg (MarketsFarm) – Soybean and corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade remain in a holding pattern, waiting for concrete news on ongoing negotiations between the United States and China. Activity during the last week of November was slowing down as traders moved to the sidelines ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, with attention […] Read more


A tentative deal has been reached to end a strike between Teamsters Canada and Canadian National Railway. | File photo

CN, union reach deal to end strike

MONTREAL (Reuters) — Teamsters Canada and Canadian National Railway say they reached a tentative deal to end a strike at the country’s largest railroad that had entered its eighth day, disrupting supply chains across the country. “We have a deal,” a CN spokesman said. The union said normal operations will resume tomorrow morning across Canada. […] Read more

Prices in southern Alberta are about $200 per tonne. That is down from the summer peak of $290 per tonne, which was expected because this is the post-harvest low period. However, it is well above the $170 per tonne that feed barley was selling for this time two years ago.
 | File photo

Strong feed barley exports lift price

The new CPTPP trade deal and production troubles in Australia help prices in Western Canada buck a global trend

Feed barley prices are holding up nicely in Western Canada despite a global glut of the crop, say industry officials. Prices in southern Alberta are about $200 per tonne. That is down from the summer peak of $290 per tonne, which was expected because this is the post-harvest low period. However, it is well above […] Read more

The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts 94 million tonnes of world soybean ending stocks, which one analyst says is far too low.  |  File photo

Analyst sounds alarm over soybean carryout estimate

USDA accused of overestimating soymeal demand in China, which when eventually corrected could lower oilseed prices

Soybeans and related oilseeds could eventually be in for a big downward price adjustment because of an accounting error, says an industry analyst. Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist with INTL FCStone, believes the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s world ending stocks estimate for the crop is way too low. The USDA is forecasting 95 million tonnes […] Read more


An increase in demand for plant protein burgers, such as this McDonald’s PLT burger with a Beyond Meat plant-based patty, is prompting food manufacturers to move into the market, but some Canadian businesses are doing so in the United States.  |  REUTERS/Moe Doiron photo

Bold action needed to revive food processing sector

Excitement rippled through Western Canada’s agricultural industry in recent years as pulse processing plants were announced and construction proceeded. But when it comes to high-value product manufacturing using pulse protein, such as veggie burgers, the investment has been mostly in the United States. This could be a further example of how Canada’s business, regulatory and […] Read more

Western Producer reporter Ed White conducted a poll on Twitter last week asking farmers why they often ignore expert advice.  |  Twitter/@edwhitemarkets photo

Farmers have many reasons for ignoring expert advice

Why do farmers often ignore expert advice? That’s a question that buzzes around in many experts’ minds as they spend years and decades urging farmers to follow various types of well-informed, well-grounded advice and then see farmers generally not follow that advice. You hear it occasionally in crop marketing and hedging circles, where advisers and […] Read more