Lethbridge Feed Barley Prices Move Upward, Watch U.S. Corn

Jul 15, 2015

Hot, dry conditions in Alberta and western Saskatchewan are delaying and stressing this year’s barley crop — but action in U.S. corn is now the barley market’s primary driver, according to one expert.

“This recent rally in corn has helped barley and feed wheat move higher; we’re in a market driven by corn, which leads us to believe that the ending stocks in barley are low enough that corn matters,” said Allen Pirness of Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge.

Feed barley was sitting around the $220 per tonne mark early last week when the rally in corn pushed it up into the $250s.

“We’ve seen some stuff trade as high as $260, for this crop year,” said Pirness. He added he wasn’t sure of prices in Vancouver, but suspected that domestically, feed barley is at higher values than on the export market.

He said he’s heard of some feedlots that are already bringing in corn to offer buyers, and estimates it could be delivered into lots around $270-$275 per tonne — extremely close to barley values.

Source : AlbertaWheat

Video: How farmers are protecting the soil and our food security | DW Documentary

For a long time, soil was all but ignored. But for years, the valuable humus layer has been thinning. Farmers in Brandenburg are clearly feeling the effects of this on their sandy fields. Many are now taking steps to prepare their farms for the future.

Years of drought, record rainfall and failed harvests: we are becoming increasingly aware of how sensitively our environment reacts to extreme weather conditions. Farmers' livelihoods are at stake. So is the ability of consumers to afford food.

For a few years now, agriculture that focuses solely on maximum yields has been regarded with increasing skepticism. It is becoming more and more clear just how dependent we are on healthy soils.

Brandenburg is the federal state with the worst soil quality in Germany. The already thin, fertile humus layer has been shrinking for decades. Researchers and farmers who are keen to experiment are combating these developments and looking for solutions. Priority is being given to building up the humus layer, which consists of microorganisms and fungi, as well as springtails, small worms and centipedes.

For Lena and Philipp Adler, two young vegetable farmers, the tiny soil creatures are invaluable helpers. On their three-hectare organic farm, they rely on simple, mechanical weed control, fallow areas where the soil can recover, and diversity. Conventional farmer Mark Dümichen also does everything he can to protect soil life on his land. For years, he has not tilled the soil after the harvest and sows directly into the field. His yields have stabilized since he began to work this way.

Isabella Krause from Regionalwert AG Berlin-Brandenburg is convinced after the experiences of the last hot summers that new crops will thrive on Brandenburg's fields in the long term. She has founded a network of farmers who are promoting the cultivation of chickpeas with support from the scientific community.