| | Note: prices provided are grower prices, quoted by processors to growers after cleaning and dockage.
Since the last grass and legume market update, harvest arrived for the Peace region’s creeping red fescue crop, and is now winding down. Good weather allowed the crop to be taken off quickly, but once again, yields are all over the map. The nice harvest weather is a continuation of the weather received in most parts of the Peace region this year, hot and dry, with little precipitation. As a result, only average yields are expected. So far, only few above average yields have been reported. The good winter snow cover helped those crops that didn’t receive any rain, hang in there. However, dryer areas are reporting dismal results.
Price wise, In the turf grass sector, creeping red fescue quotes have settled into the 65 to 68 cents/lb range, waiting for the smoke to settle and see how the turf grass situation in the US turns out. The US grass seed harvest in Oregon has been slowed by rain, but the harvest went well in the mid-western states. The European crop may be down again this year. Certified creeping red fescue quotes have climbed, with 15 to 20 cent/lb premiums being thrown around. European production was already expected to be down due to fewer acres.
In the forage grass seed sector, most prices have stabilized falling the spring run, with only smooth bromegrass being pressured by new crop inventories. Common smooth brome grass seed quotes have fallen to the 85¢ to 1.10 /lb range, with certified Carlton commanding a 10 to 15 ¢/lb premium. However, it doesn’t appear to be any actual demand right now, only “quotes”.
Common meadow brome grass seed quotes remain strong, in the $1.50-$1.70/lb range, with certified Fleet meadow brome anywhere from $1.70 to $1.90. Inventories of meadow are very low, and new fields expected to be few. Common timothy remains around the 50 ¢/lb mark, with certified Climax timothy at 60 to 65 cents/lb.
On the legume side of thing, quotes have remained relatively unchanged, but supply is expected to be low for this upcoming year. Sweet clover quotes remain at 30 ¢/lb, with alsike clover quotes around 35 – 45 ¢/lb. Red clover quotes are between 90¢/lb and $1.00/lb, but acres for new production are down. Common alfalfa seed prices are quoted anywhere from 1.00 to $1.25/lb, depending upon quality. However, wet and cool conditions in Manitoba and Saskatchewan are affecting alfalfa plant development and leafcutter bee flight, so this year’s seed production could be down. However, there’s still a couple of months to go. |
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