Markets & Industry Information

Current Market Pricing

Information courtesy of AFSC Commodity Prices. For historical data please see links below.


Current and historical market pricing prepared by David Wong, can be found in the documents listed below:

2023 Market Pricing

No current updates

Historical Market Pricing

2022 Historical Prices
2022 AFSC Commodity Prices

2021 Historical Prices
2021 AFSC Commodity Prices

2020 Historical Prices
Fall 2020 Market Update
May 2020 Market Update
2020 AFSC Commodity Prices

2019 Historical Prices
May 2019 Market Update
2019 AFSC Commodity Prices

2018 Historical Prices
October 2018 Market Update
May 2018 Market Update
2018 AFSC Commodity Prices

2017 Historical Prices
Fall 2017 Market Update
April 2017 Market Update
2017 AFSC Commodity Prices

2016 Historical Prices
 October 2016 Update

 May 2016 Market Update
2016 AFSC Commodity Prices

2015 Historical Prices
 October 2015 Market Update

 May 2015 Market Update
2015 AFSC Commodity Prices

2014 Historical Prices
 October 2014 Market Update
2014 AFSC Commodity Prices

2013 Historical Prices
 December 2013 Market Update
 November 2013 Market Update
 October 2013 Market Update
 August 2013 Market Update
 July 2013 Market Update
 June 2013 Market Update
2013 AFSC Commodity Prices

 

 

2012 Historical Prices
 December 2012 Market Update 
 November 2012 Market Update 
 August 2012 Market Update
 July 2012 Market Update
 June 2012 Market Update
 April 2012 Market Update
 January 2012 Market Update
2012 AFSC Commodity Prices

2011 Historical Prices
 December 2011 Market Update
 November 2011 Market Update
 September 2011 Market Update
 August 2011 Market Update
 July 2011 Market Update
 June 2011 Market Update
 April 2011 Market Update
 March 2011 Market Update
 January 2011 Market Update

2010 Historical Prices
August 2010 Market Update
July 2010 Market Update
June 2010 Market Update
February 2010 Market Update
January 2010 Market Update

2009 Historical Prices 
October 2009 Market Update
June 2009 Market Update
May 2009 Market Update
March 2009 Market Update
February 2009 Market Update 

2008 Historical Prices
December 2008 Market Update

 


Market Perspective

The Canadian forage seed market is small in comparison to markets for other farm commodities. It is a less structured market. Typically, prices are established on a “bid” and “offer” system, with sellers and buyers checking offers and bids by other growers or buyers. Although market and price information can be lacking it is available. Canadian companies provided prices for most forage seed species, however, quotes can vary depending on the company, time of year, and market conditions (supply/demand).

General principles of supply and demand work in the forage seed marketplace. To alleviate potential marketing problems, the marketing of turf, grass and legumes seed in Canada has 4 marketing options available to growers. The marketing alternatives are: direct seed sales, contracts, brokered sales and farm gate sales. (Excerpts from Forage Seed Marketing)

Dave Wong, retired Market Specialist with Alberta Agriculture, has compiled many market summaries and market perspectives over the years. Here are a few examples from recent years.

Canadian Market Summaries

2021 Inspected Acres

2020 Inspected Acres
2019 Inspected Acres
2018 Inspected Acres
2017 Inspected Acres
2016 Inspected Acres
2015 Inspected Acres
2014 Inspected Acres

2016 Census of Agriculture: Canadian Forage Seed Production

2019-2020 Grass and Legume Seed Export
2018-2019 Grass and Legume Seed Export
2016-2017 Grass and Legume Seed Export
2015-2016 Grass and Legume Seed Export

2014-2015 Grass and Legume Seed Export
2013-2014 Grass and Legume Seed Exports
2012 Canadian Grass and Legume Seed Exports 

Historical Grass and Legume Seed Prices: 1970 to 2018
Historical Grass and Legume Seed Prices: 1970 to 2016
Historical Grass and Legume Seed Prices: 1970 to 2014

2012 Alfalfa Seed from Canada to Selected Countries

Marketing Creeping Red Fescue - October 2004
Creeping Red Fescue Pricing Factors
Alfalfa Seed Marketing in Canada -October 2004

United States & International Market Summaries

The Changing Market Place

Historical price information is available for the most commonly grown turf, forage and legume seed crops of Alberta. Prices provided are yearly averages, and reflect prices given to growers. Dave Wong from AAFRD has compiled Individual graphs of historical prices for creeping red fescue, smooth bromegrass, timothy seed, alfalfa seed, sweet clover, red clover and alsike clover.

World trade of forage grass seed, turf grass seed and legume seed revolves around 5 major players. The USA is by far the largest producer and exporter of grass and legume seed in the world. This followed by the EU15 as a whole, then Canada. New Zealand follows. The only other nations of significance are the Argentina and the Czech Republic, which has now joined the EU25.

The majority of trade is in turf grasses (perennial ryegrass, annual ryegrass, tall fescue turf varieties, Kentucky bluegrass and the fine leaved fescues. Direct subsidized to grass species in the EU have been taken off, but now the marketplace will play a major role in European growers decisions to grow grass/ legumes seeds.

The marketplace has also changed. No longer do end-users obtain supply in advance. Buyers have moved to a “hand-to-mouth” approach. This has forced growers to hold onto their production longer, thus becoming the storage component of the marketing wheel. In the grass/legume seed business, growers must decide quickly when and which crop to grow, which may also mean quicker movement of growers into and out of grass seed production.