Corn has become a popular crop in Saskatchewan and much of Western Canada

Corn is becoming increasingly popular for Western Canadian agricultural producers, because of domestic and international demands. The corn supply in the entire nation had increased by three per cent from 2017-18. Imports in Canadian corn surged due to lower supplies of quality corn crops in Eastern Canada and a tight barley supply in Western Canada. Exports are expected to increase in 2019-2020, because of a higher demand and boosted trade with the European Union. But according to government statistics, Canada continues to face strong competition from South American countries entering the international export markets.

 

South America’s entry into the corn markets has pressured Canada, the United States and other countries to lower crop prices. World corn production for 2018-19 was the second-largest in history because of South America’s input, according to USDA. World carry-out stocks continue to drop, yet remain high because of great import forecasts for the EU, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.

 

In 2019-2020, the seeded area for corn in Canada had been expected to increase by five per cent from 2018-19 statistics. The weak Canadian dollar will continue to provide support to corn prices in Canada. Yet the Canadian dollar might also be recouping against its American counterpart, because the Canadian economy remains strong in an unstable world, according to a Reuters poll as reported by Fergal Smith in the Financial Post earlier this month.

 

Environmental conditions in Canada have also supported corn’s feasibility as a lucrative crop. The 2019 spring in the United States had been wet and cold. The soggy conditions delayed crop sowing and growth, raising the potential for below trend yields in the United States. In Canada, dry conditions have persisted in Saskatchewan and the rest of the prairie provinces. Seeding rates for corn have been well about the five-year average in the nation.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.