According to the latest data from Statistics Canada, prices for crops received by farmers* continued to trend lower in April. They, however, remain significantly above the historical levels seen prior to 2022.

Wheat (excluding durum) prices received by Alberta farmers fell for the fourth consecutive month in April. Averaging $430.69 per metric tonne year-to-date (YTD), prices were 2.0% lower than over the same period in 2022.

Due to higher domestic and global production, the price of canola (including rapeseed) fell to the lowest level in sixteen months across western Canada. Averaging $836.24 per metric tonne, prices stood 11.0% lower YTD in Alberta.

Meanwhile, barley prices received by farmers in Alberta ticked up by 0.6% and posted the first monthly gain since January.

Smaller herds of cattle are driving up prices for the same across the country. Alberta’s cattle prices, both for slaughter and feeding, continued to ascend for the fourth straight month in April and were up by 25.3% and 34.6%, respectively, YTD. 

*Price data are extracted from administrative files and derived from Statistics Canada surveys.

Answer to the previous trivia question: Between 1976 and 2022, self-employment’s average annual share of total employment in Alberta edged up over 20% three times. It peaked in 1996.

Today’s trivia question: How many calories are there in a tablespoon of canola oil?