| | Note: prices provided are normally given as grower prices, quoted by processors to growers after cleaning and dockage. However, with quotes now not being offered by many companies, last quotes may be provided.
If it wasn’t for retail sales, a lot of grass and legume seed processors would be taking holidays right now. Some companies have decreased their working staff as the need to process grass and legume seed grinds to a halt. Inventories are now piled in warehouses. Retail sales of hay and pasture mixes are reported good, but this isnt’ enough to carry processing plants used to handling 2 to 8 million lbs of seed annually.
In the turf seed end of things, the hoped for spring “buying of large wholesale lots”, just did not materialize. As long as the world economic jitters continue, the end users of turf seeds just are not seeing customers coming through the door. Creeping red fescue quotes, if anyone is even buying, are reportedly in the 40 to 45 ¢/lb range. Fall quotes are almost non-existent. With fewer acres this year, lower production is expected. But with good inventories in warehouses still, the economy still on it’s way to recovery; don’t expect any upward price movement anytime soon.
There are some wholesale sales in the forage grass seed sector, but not in huge quantities. Most prices have been pressured due to a lack of demand. Smooth brome grass quotes are in the 40 to 50 ¢/lb range, with Certified Carlton in the 5 to 10 ¢/lb higher. Meadow brome grass seed quotes have settled in the $1.50-$1.60/lb range. Common timothy seed quotes have moved down into the 40-45 ¢/lb range. Certified Climax timothy is quoted at a 10 to 15 ¢/lb premium.
On the legume side of thing, common alfalfa seed prices are in the $1.00 to $1.20/lb range. Variety not stated alfalfa seed can be 20 to 30 ¢/lb higher, depending on the variety initially grown. Alsike clover quotes have settled in the 35-40 ¢/lb range, while Red clover quotes are in the 80 ¢ to $1.00 /lb range. Sweet clover quotes are similar to alsike quotes, 35 to 40 ¢/lb, but with very limited demand.
The quietest grass and legume winter season is now over, and with a lack of actual buying and selling of wholesale seed, concrete prices are hard to pin down….. not only for growers, but also by the various marketing managers for our grass and legume seed processors.
| Grass and Legume Seed Quotes |
 | Creeping Red Fescue | Boreal C R Fescue | Smooth Brome grass | Carlton Smooth Brome grass | Meadow Brome grass | Fleet Meadow Brome grass | Timothy | Climax Timothy | Alfalfa | Red Clover | Alsike Clover | Sweet Clover |
| Common #1 - Min 97% Pure, 85% Germ | Cert #1 | Common #1 | Cert #1 | Common #1 | Cert #1 | Common #1 | Cert #1 | Common #1 | Common #1 | Common #1 | Common #1 |
Feb 5-08 | 50 | 60 | 130-140 | 140-150 | 160-170 | 190 | 35+ | 55-60 | 120-130 | 85-100 | 35 | 25-30 |
Mar 11 | 52-55 | 60 | 130-140 | 140-150 | 160-170 | 190 | 35-40 | 55-60 | 120-130 | 85-100 | 35-37 | 25-30 |
Apr 1 | 55 | 60-70 | 130-140 | 140-150 | 160-170 | 190 | 35-40 | 55-60 | 120-130 | 85-100 | 35-37 | 25-30 |
May 6 | 60 | 65-75 | 120-135 | 140-150 | 160-170 | 170-190 | 45-50 | 55-65 | 115-130 | 85-100 | 23-40 | 25-30 |
June 3 | 62-65 | 70-75 | 120-130 | 130-145 | 160-170 | 170-190 | 50 | 60-65 | 100-120 | 85-100 | 35-45 | 30 |
July 8 | 62-65 | 65-70 | 100-120 | 110-120 | 150-160 | 170-190 | 50 | 60-65 | 100-125 | 85-100 | 35-45 | 30 |
Aug 5 | 65-68 | 80-90 | 85-110 | 110-120 | 150-160 | 170-190 | 50 | 65-70 | 100-125 | 85-100 | 35-45 | 30 |
Sept 2 | 65-68 | 80-85 | 55-65 | 65-70 | 150-170 | 170 -190 | 50-55 | 65-75 | 100-125 | 90-110 | 45-50 | 45-55 |
Sept 29 | 65 | 80 | 55-60 | 65-70 | 165-170 | 170-190 | 50 | 65-70 | 120-140 | 100-110 | 50-60 | 40-50 |
Nov 4 | 62-65 | 75-80 | 55-60 | 65-70 | 165-170 | 170-190 | 45-50 | 65-70 | 120-130 | 100-115 | 45-50 | 40-50 |
Dec 2 | 60-62 | 70-75 | 55-60 | 65-70 | 160-170 | 170-190 | 45-50 | 55-70 | 120-140 | 100-115 | 45-50 | 40-50 |
Jan 5-09 | 60-62 | 65-75 | 45-60 | 60-70 | 160-170 | 170-190 | 40-50 | 50-65 | 120-150 | 110-125 | 40-50 | 35-50 |
Feb 3 | 55-60 | 65-75 | 45-60 | 60-70 | 160-165 | 170-190 | 40-45 | 50-65 | 120-150 | 115-125 | 40-50 | 35-50 |
Mar 3 | 50-60 | 60-70 | 45-55 | 55-65 | 155-165 | 170-180 | 40-50 | 55-60 | 120-140 | 105-115 | 40-50 | 35-50 |
Mar 31 | 45-50 | 50-60 | 45-50 | 55-65 | 155-165 | 170-180 | 40-45 | 45-55 | 120-130 | 80-110 | 35-40 | 35-40 |
May 4 | 40-45 | 50-55 | 45-50 | 55-60 | 150-160 | 160-170 | 40 | 45-55 | 100-125 | 80-100 | 35-40 | 35-40 |
June 2 | 40-45 | 50-55 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 150-160 | 160-170 | 40 | 45-55 | 100-125 | 80-100 | 35-40 | 35-40 |
| Prices are quotes only, until actual orders come in, that's when firm pricing is established |
| - prices in ¢/lb |
Last updated: June 2-09
Prepared by David Wong, Market Specialist, Ag-Info Centre, Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development |
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