| | 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.
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First of all, we’ve now entered the “Do you know…????” season, as in “do you know what creeper is yielding this year?’ “Do you know how much clover will come off?”, which all results in “do you know what the price for ___ ___ is???” In layman’s terms, it’s harvest time, and until yield and production numbers become more concrete, there will be a lot of “Do you Know questions’ flying around.
Creeping red fescue harvest is rolling along in the Peace country as I speak, with early indications that a below average yielding crop is coming off. The moisture from last fall and early this spring helped, but overall dry conditions have produced a below average crop. Initial bushel weights are reportedly quite low. Harvest continues, but prices continue to slip. Quotes for new crop creeper are anywhere’s from 32 to 35 ¢/lb, with little to no premium right now for certified Boreal. The EU, which buys most of our certified Boreal, has overproduced the past year. Prices may remain depressed as the USA is finishing harvesting a good turf seed crop down in Oregon.
Like the turf grasses, prices remain unsettled for forage grasses and legumes. With harvest yet to begin with most species, prices are still up in the air. Last reports have smooth brome around 35 – 40 ¢/lb, with certified 5 to 10 ¢/lb higher. Meadow brome quotes are being thrown around anywhere’s from 60¢ to $.80 /lb. Common Timothy seed quotes remain in the 30 -35 ¢/lb range, with Certified Climax around 40 - 45 ¢/lb. But remember, with new production unknown, and with no one wanting to buy and carry inventory, few concrete prices are available.
Alfalfa quotes are now in the $1.00 to $1.40/lb range, as reports have it European alfalfa is entering North America. It’s still early and its’ a big unknown as to how the excessive moisture in Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba will affect this year’s Canadian alfalfa seed crop. Red and alsike seed quotes are still marred at 50 – 60 ¢/lb for red, and 35 to 45 ¢/lb for alsike, while sweet clover quotes are between 30 and 40 ¢/lb.
In conclusion, until harvest wraps up in a few weeks, price discovery will be the big question in the marketplace, and will depend upon what buyers may interpret this years’ production of the various species to be. Then, its’ wait for demand to appear…….. or vise versa.
| 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 |
| Com #1 | Cert #1 | Com #1 | Cert #1 | Com #1 | Cert #1 | Com #1 | Cert #1 | Com #1 | Com #1 | Com #1 | Com #1 |
Sept 1 | 40-45 | 50-52 | 40-45 | 45-50 | 120-130 | 140-150 | 30-40 | 45-55 | 100-130 | 60-80 | 40-45 | 30-40 |
Oct 6 | 40-43 | 50 | 40-45 | 45-48 | 80-120 | 100-140 | 30-40 | 45-55 | 90-140 | 65-80 | 40 | 35-40 |
Nov 3 | 40-45 | 50 | 35-40 | 40-45 | 80-120 | 120-140 | 30-45 | 45-55 | 100-140 | 50-80 | 25-40 | 30-40 |
1-Dec | 40 | 45 | 35-40 | 40-45 | 80-120 | 120-140 | 30-40 | 40-45 | 100-140 | 50-80 | 35-45 | 30-40 |
5-Jan | 40 | 45 | 35-40 | 40-45 | 80-120 | 120-140 | 28-30 | 40 | 110-145 | 50-70 | 35-45 | 30-40 |
2-Feb | 35-40 | 40-45 | 35-40 | 40-45 | 70-110 | 120-130 | 25-30 | 40 | 115-140 | 50-70 | 35-45 | 30-40 |
2-Mar | 35-40 | 40-45 | 35-40 | 40-45 | 70-110 | 120-130 | 25-30 | 40 | 125-140 | 50-70 | 35-45 | 30-40 |
7-Apr | 35-40 | 40-42 | 35-40 | 40-45 | 70-110 | 120-130 | 25-30 | 40 | 120-145 | 50-70 | 35-45 | 30-40 |
4-May | 35-38 | 40-42 | 35-40 | 40-45 | 70-100 | 100-120 | 25-30 | 40 | 120-145 | 50-65 | 35-45 | 30-40 |
31-May | 35-38 | 40-42 | 35-40 | 40-45 | 70-100 | 100-120 | 25-30 | 40 | 120-145 | 50-65 | 35-45 | 30-40 |
5-Jul | 35-38 | 40-42 | 35-40 | 40-45 | 70-100 | 100-120 | 25-30 | 40 | 120-145 | 50-65 | 35-45 | 30-40 |
3-Aug | 32-35 | 35-37 | 35-40 | 40-45 | 60-80 | 80-110 | 25-35 | 40-45 | 100-140 | 50-60 | 35-45 | 30-40 |
| Prices are quotes only, until actual orders come in, that's when firm pricing is established |
| -prices in ¢/lb, last updated July 7-2010 |
Prepared by David Wong, Market Specialist, Ag-Info Centre, Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development
310-FARM (3276) |
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