By Nigel Maxwell

Seeding slightly delayed in Prince Albert area, but optimism high over grain prices

May 3, 2022 | 2:00 PM

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – With spring seeding getting underway in the southwest portion of the province, farmers in the Prince Albert area are counting down the days until they get started.

Ken Blocka farms south of Prince Albert and told paNOW he is about a week away from getting out in the field.

“It’s just been so cold and there’s still snowbanks kicking around,” he said.

Blocka figured the snowfall this past winter was enough to get farmers started, but added producers may be in trouble if mother nature doesn’t bring any rain.

Mike Grassick farms directly east of Prince Albert off Highway 302 and he too is still a week to 10 days away from getting out. But with grain prices looking pretty decent this year, especially wheat, Grassick is optimistic.

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“We are a long ways from harvest though so you have to weigh that,” he said, adding the rising costs of fertilizers and chemicals also balance things out.

According to the World Bank’s latest Commodity Markets Outlook report, price increases for food commodities have been the largest since 2008.

Non-energy prices, including agriculture and metals, are projected to increase almost 20 per cent in 2022 and will also moderate in the following years.

Nevertheless, commodity prices are expected to remain well above the most recent five-year average. In the event of a prolonged war in Ukraine, or additional sanctions on Russia, prices could be even higher and more volatile than currently projected.

Bill Prybylski, Vice President of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APASS) and Director for District 4, told paNOW he is cautiously optimistic.

“Commodity prices can be very volatile and with the situation in the world right now, wheat prices are strong and we will see how long that lasts,” he said.

Noting that the war in Ukraine is certainly a factor, Prybylski said the word’s supply in general has decreased over the last few years with droughts in major wheat producing areas of the world including Saskatchewan.

“In 2021, there was a pretty significant drought across the prairies and wheat yields were down significantly,” he said.

Noting the tough year many producers experienced last year, Prybylski said producers will need a good crop this year with some decent prices to recover.

He also acknowledged however a Statistics Canada study that forecasted an increase in wheat acres, which he said may weigh on prices in the fall.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell