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By Mat Barrett

Agriculture Roundup

Agriculture Roundup for Thursday November 5, 2020

Nov 5, 2020 | 9:50 AM

MELFORT, Sask. – Consumer demand for baking supplies related to the pandemic effect has backed off slightly but remains quite strong – and that is just one factor which has pushed oat commodity prices higher this fall.

Scott Shiels at Grain Millers Yorkton says despite certain predictions for a large crop – when July heat kicked in – yields and his expectations dropped. He says this resulted in strong prices heading into the winter and spring.

“Farmers don’t have as much in the bin as they thought, haven’t been forced to sell as much, stuff they aren’t able to store and that sort of thing,” Shiels said. “I think that is all combining to push all the markets a little bit higher and I think that will continue out through the winter.

Shiels says oat exports have been strong despite the U.S. had a larger oat crop.

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The two Canadian railways are setting new records for grain shipments.

The chair of SaskWheat, Brett Halstead of Nokomis, welcomes the news but says the railways must not back off in grain movement.

“Obviously we hope to continue to have good movement and how we rely on getting our product to market and making a fair living,” he said.

CN says its record performance in October follows seven consecutive record months of grain shipments this year.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6