Organic growers often experiment with companion cropping, like wheat and flax pictured here.  |  File photo

Organic crops poised to take off, says official

Strong demand from American food manufacturers is fuelling the switch from conventional to organic production

The Prairie Organic Grain Initiative has released statistics for 2015 and while there was no growth in organic acres that year there will be in the future, says the association. The 1,342 primary producers in the prairie region seeded 1.41 million acres in 2015, which is about the same amount as the previous year. In […] Read more

High vomitoxin durum is finding a market as the spring harvest provides crop to blend with.  |  File photo

Spring harvest creates blending opportunity

Selling durum with high mycotoxin levels is neither the most pleasurable marketing exercise for Saskatchewan grain growers, nor the most profitable. However, with spring seeding underway, it’s a good feeling nonetheless to get bins cleaned out and to find a home for high-vomitoxin grain that’s using up valuable storage space. Jason Skinner, manager of North […] Read more

U.S. hard red winter wheat battered by snow, rain

A major spring blizzard hit the hard red winter wheat region of the United States southern plains on the weekend causing snow and frost damage. July Kansas hard red winter wheat futures rallied more than 6.5 percent on May 1. That rally helped push Minneapolis spring wheat July futures up about two percent. The extent […] Read more


WP livestock report

Hogs level out After many weeks of lower prices, U.S. cash hogs bottomed out on hopes that the usual seasonal tightening of supply has begun. The U.S. national live price average for barrows and gilts was US43.25 per cwt. April 28, up from $42.80 April 21. U.S. hogs averaged $56.21 on a carcass basis April […] 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. Fed cattle highest of year Tight market-ready cattle and beef supplies pushed cash and Chicago cattle price […] Read more


Kansas crop tour projects above-average wheat yields despite snow

By Julie Ingwersen MANHATTAN, Kan., May 4 (Reuters) – Wheat fields in Kansas, the top U.S. producer of the grain, were above average as crops benefited from good soil moisture, scouts on the annual Wheat Quality Council crop tour said on Thursday. However, scouts were unable to assess how late-season snow that fell over the […] Read more

VIDEO: Canada’s agricultural markets update – May 3, 2017

VIDEO: Canada’s agricultural markets update – May 3, 2017

D’Arce McMillan, The Western Producer markets editor, monitors trends in the North American and global agricultural markets. Each week he hosts a market video about crops. The video is designed to help viewers understand the forces responsible for changes in the trade. If agricultural markets are important to you, we have you covered.

CME live cattle soars to new highs, 3-cent price limit

CHICAGO, May 3 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts on Wednesday posted new highs, and nearby months hit their 3.000-cent daily price limit, sparked by brisk beef demand and stronger-than-anticipated cash prices, traders said. June settled at 130.050 cents and August 123.800 – limit up and fresh highs for both contracts. Thursday’s live […] Read more


Uncertain prospects for snow-hit wheat in western Kansas

By Julie Ingwersen JETMORE, Kansas, May 3 (Reuters) – Yield prospects for hard red winter wheat in western Kansas were uncertain after a major weekend storm buried some fields under heavy snow, scouts on an annual crop tour said on Wednesday. Much of the wheat was flattened in the fields hit hardest by snow, and […] Read more

CME live cattle ends higher, but off session tops

CHICAGO, May 2 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher Tuesday on fund buying, short-covering and solid beef demand that briefly lifted the June contract to its 3.000-cent daily price limit, said traders. They said profit-taking and caution before this week’s cash prices pulled futures from new contract highs. June ended 2.925 […] Read more