For Prairie Feedlots, Corn is King

Dec 28, 2021

Corn use is becoming even more widespread across Prairie feedlots, keeping a lid on feed wheat and barley prices in the process.

“We’re seeing corn take more of the driver’s seat role in the feedgrain complex,” said Allen Pirness, senior trader at Market Place Commodities in Lethbridge. “Pretty much every feedlot is feeding corn now. It really kills the demand for wheat and barley. We’ll see (plenty of corn) at least through the summer, maybe even into next crop year. . . it’s a pretty significant switch that has happened.”

Amid sharply higher wheat and barley prices in the wake of drought-reduced supplies, more US corn is being imported into feedlots as a lower-priced feedgrain alternative. In its December supply-demand update, Agriculture Canada projected total 2021-22 corn imports at 3 million tonnes, almost double the previous year.

Although Ontario and Quebec saw bumper corn production this year, output in Western Canada (primarily Manitoba) was also hit by drought, further increasing the need for imports of American supplies. In fact, at just under 1 million tonnes, Prairie corn production was the lowest in six years.

Pirness said both barley and feed wheat prices have softened over the past week – down anywhere from about a dime to 15 cents to $9.80 and $12.80/bu- although he added little business is currently being done anyway.

“The offers are still quite a bit higher than the bids. But there hasn’t been a lot of appetite right at the moment for anyone to pay up,” he said.

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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.