The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) is continuing to demonstrate the value of canola meal for dairy producers.

Gordon Speirs, a dairy manager at Shiloh Dairy in Wisconsin, participated in a recent on-farm trial where canola meal was fed at high inclusion rates.

“Canola contributes to cost-efficient production. We no longer have to source and store expeller soybean meal,” he said.

The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) conducted the on-farm trial with the help of GPS Dairy Consulting, a group of independent dairy nutritionists in Wisconsin. The purpose of the trial was to determine whether producers could increase efficiency by replacing multiple high-priced protein sources, such as animal protein blends and treated soybean meal, with canola meal while maintaining milk yield.

Two Wisconsin dairies volunteered to participate in the trial. The trial rations replaced animal protein and high-bypass soybean meal with canola meal and rumen-protected lysine.

Results from both dairies showed the following:

- The trial ration was comparable in price or less expensive;
- Their yield weight of milk, fat and protein increased – including a daily milk increase of nearly 2 litres per cow on farm one and 3.5 litres per cow on farm two; and
- The additional canola meal allowed them to streamline sourcing protein ingredients.

"Although the field trials were small, we are encouraged by the positive results, and will continue to research the uses of canola meal for dairy animals," says Brittany Dyck, canola meal manager with the CCC.

Send your news tips, story ideas and comments to jgiles@goldenwestradio.com

Canola 100 winner, Merle Klassen, accepting his award at the Farm Forum Event in Calgary. Wednesday, December 5.

The ICE Futures canola platform finished the day stronger, supported by a weak Canadian dollar. Trading was choppy in the last few minutes before market close.

The Canadian dollar fell below the 75 U.S. cents mark Monday, as tensions continue to rise over the arrest of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou last week. China has warned Canada it could face severe consequences for the arrest.

Canola contracts found support from tightening spreads as participants are starting to roll their January positions forward into March. Spreads accounted for most of trade during the day.

Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) soybean and meal contracts were weaker, while soyoil contracts were stronger.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) releases its monthly supply/demand report tomorrow, and pre-report positioning took place during the day in North American grain and oilseed markets.

About 32,757 canola contracts traded, which compares with Friday when 29,759 contracts changed hands. Spreading accounted for 26,924 of the contracts traded.

The USDA announced a 125,000 tonne sale of soybeans to unknown destinations for the 2018/19 crop year this morning.

Bloomberg reported that China will soon announce it will be resuming U.S. soybean purchases. Volume could be in the five to eight million tonne range, but it is still being decided as to whether or not they will lift 25 per cent tariff.

China imported 5.38 million tonnes of soybeans in November, according to the USDA. This is down 38 per cent from last year; it is the smallest monthly volume in two years and the smallest November volume since 2012. Year-to-date imports are down by four per cent.
CBOT corn prices finished the day in the red.

The USDA announced a flash sale of 1,645,920 tonnes of corn to Mexico this morning. This is the fourth-largest daily sale of corn on record since 1977.
Wheat futures in the U.S. finished the day weaker.
Winter wheat acres in Kansas are expected to be less than last year, due to a colder and wetter than average fall. This could see Kansas having the smallest wheat acreage number in more than a century.
Export prices of Russian milling wheat rose by US$3 per tonne last week to US$228 per tonne, following another sale to Egypt.

 

OUTSIDE MARKETS

Light crude oil nearby futures in New York was down $1.61 at US$51.00 per barrel.

In the afternoon, the Canadian dollar was trading around US74.74 cents, up from 75.19 cents the previous trading day. The U.S. dollar was C$1.3379.

 

Winnipeg ICE Futures Canada dollars per tonne.

Canola Jan 19 487.60s +2.10 +0.43%

Canola Mar 19 493.40s +1.10 +0.22%

Canola May 19 500.80s +0.80 +0.16%

Canola Jul 19 507.10s +1.30 +0.26%

Canola Nov 19 498.10s +0.10 +0.02%

 

American crop prices in cents US/bushel, soybean meal in $US/short ton, soy oil in cents US/pound. Prices are displayed with fractions (2/8, 4/8, and 6/8) instead of decimals. -2 equals .25, -4 equals .50, -6 equals .75. The “s” means it is the settlement.

 

Chicago

Soybeans Jan 19 909-6s -7-0 -0.76%

Soybeans Mar 19 922-6s -6-2 -0.67%

Soybeans May 19 935-4s -6-2 -0.66%

Soybeans Jul 19 947-2s -6-0 -0.63%

Soybeans Aug 19 951-2s -5-6 -0.60%

 

Soybean Meal Dec 18 307.9s -1.2 -0.39%

Soybean Meal Jan 19 310.0s -1.2 -0.39%

Soybean Meal Mar 19 313.9s -0.8 -0.25%

 

Soybean Oil Dec 18 28.52s +0.02 +0.07%

Soybean Oil Jan 19 28.76s +0.02 +0.07%

Soybean Oil Mar 19 29.02s +0.02 +0.07%

 

Corn Dec 18 374-2s +0-2 +0.07%

Corn Mar 19 384-0s -1-4 -0.39%

Corn May 19 391-2s -1-4 -0.38%

Corn Jul 19 397-6s -1-4 -0.38%

Corn Sep 19 398-4s -0-6 -0.19%

 

Oats Dec 18 282-4s +1-0 +0.36%

Oats Mar 19 289-0s +1-0 +0.35%

Oats May 19 291-2s +1-6 +0.60%

Oats Jul 19 286-6s +3-4 +1.24%

Oats Sep 19 273-6s +3-2 +1.20%

 

Wheat Dec 18 514-6s -4-6 -0.91%

Wheat Mar 19 525-2s -6-0 -1.13%

Wheat May 19 531-4s -4-4 -0.84%

Wheat Jul 19 537-2s -2-6 -0.51%

Wheat Sep 19 545-6s -2-4 -0.46%

 

Minneapolis

Spring Wheat Dec 18 580-0s -5-6 -0.98%

Spring Wheat Mar 19 575-2s -6-2 -1.07%

Spring Wheat May 19 580-2s -5-4 -0.94%

Spring Wheat Jul 19 586-0s -5-0 -0.85%

Spring Wheat Sep 19 593-2s -4-6 -0.79%

 

Kansas City

Hard Red Wheat Dec 18 482-6s -1-6 -0.36%

Hard Red Wheat Mar 19 510-2s -1-6 -0.34%

Hard Red Wheat May 19 521-2s -1-4 -0.29%

Hard Red Wheat Jul 19 530-6s -1-2 -0.23%

Hard Red Wheat Sep 19 544-2s -0-4 -0.09%

 

Chicago livestock futures in US¢/pound, Pit trade

Live Cattle Dec 18 117.575s -0.325 -0.28%

Live Cattle Feb 19 121.200s -0.325 -0.27%

Live Cattle Apr 19 123.600s -0.025 -0.02%

 

Feeder Cattle Jan 19 145.025s +0.650 +0.45%

Feeder Cattle Mar 19 142.750s +0.875 +0.62%

Feeder Cattle Apr 19 143.275s +0.750 +0.53%

 

Lean Hogs Dec 18 54.725s +0.475 +0.88%

Lean Hogs Feb 19 66.825s -1.050 -1.55%

Lean Hogs Apr 19 72.075s -0.250 -0.35%