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1. A fully customizable dashboard

When you log on you can select which widgets you want to see, their location on the screen and their size. Use the Widget Administration feature to select only the widgets you want –even duplicate widgets to monitor different regions at the same time.

Also note – the widgets now show the time of the latest data update so you know if you have the most recent information.

2. Basis information! 

Basis levels can now be easily viewed for CWRS, CPSR and canola. The reported basis is the difference between the pdq regional average price and the relevant futures contract (in the currency of the contract). That means ICE canola, Minneapolis Grain Exchange spring wheat for CWRS and Kansas City wheat for CPSR. 

This new widget shows basis levels for all forward months, the relevant futures contract for each, and the change in basis from the previously reported amount.

3. Commodity price graphs

Click on the commodity name in the Regional and Deferred widgets and you will see a graph of the forward prices for that commodity. Click on a specific price and you will see a chart of the price history of that commodity in the selected region.  Great for checking local price trends!

This is the first of a number of new features planned for PDQ. Stay tuned for the next upgrade - we are working on it now.

Don’t forget to SAVE your Dashboard selections so they will be available to you the next time you log on to PDQ.

Sorry, we couldn’t save your Weather widget location so you will have to reset it.

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz today announced a contribution of up to $742,725 through Agriculture and AgriFood Canada’s (AAFC’s) AgriRisk Initiatives program for the project being developed by AWC and supported by FARMCo, a grain marketing consulting firm. The ultimate goal of the project is to create a more transparent market that ultimately improves efficiency. “This project will close a major information gap related to cash grain prices and market data and we thank Minister Ritz for his support,” said Kent Erickson, Chairman, Alberta Wheat Commission. “This information will significantly improve farmers’ access to market-related data to capture the best marketing opportunities available to them.” The website that will house the information will be known as Price & Data Quotes (PDQ) and a test version of the site has been established at www.pdqinfo.ca to introduce the concept and gather feedback. “We saw this project as an opportunity to take a leadership role in improving price transparency in grain markets in Canada. We see the PDQ project as strategic and necessary for farmers to compete on the international stage,” Erickson added. Having up-to-date information available to marketers in a neutral, public place will benefit all participants involved in the agricultural commodity trade in Canada. The Alberta Wheat Commission is a producer-directed organization representing the interests of and serving as a single voice for all of Alberta’s 14,000 wheat producers. www.albertawheat.com Media Contact: Victoria Russell Communications and Events Coordinator P. (403) 219-7906 C. (403) 813-6956 E. vrussell@albertawheat.com

"This site will be a valuable source of market information for farmers and other industry players," says Levi Wood, President of the Wheat Growers. "Improving the flow of information makes for more competitive markets, and will give farmers another tool to help them in their seeding and grain marketing decisions." The Wheat Growers see the development of the website www.pdqinfo.ca as a one-stop shop for market information, including information on grain prices, crop estimates, grain movement, stocks, domestic use and export numbers. The Wheat Growers had earlier provided a letter of support for the project. "Having all this information in one place will help farmers make better judgments on when and where to price their grain," says Levi Wood. "It will also help the trade in developing their grain marketing plans and executing their sales programs." The Wheat Growers commend the Alberta Wheat Commission and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz for recognizing the market information gaps and taking measures to fill this need. For further comment, please contact: Levi Wood President 306-535-2997

“Before the CWB became Voluntary in 2012, the WBGA commissioned a Business Case Assessment Study looking at what components a competitive, commercial grain market would need to be successful, and the Study identified the need to track credible, transparent, independent grain pricing for all farmers on the Prairies. Doing so will enable farmers to make informed grain marketing and planning decisions. ” Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced a contribution of up to $742,725 through Agriculture and AgriFood Canada’s Agri-Risk Initiatives program for the project that FARMCo and the AWC, who are financially supporting it, are developing to provide market information for farmers. A website will house information collected from a number of sources, and a test version of the site is currently up and running at www.pdqinfo.ca. The name stands for Price and Data Quotes (PDQ). “This initiative will address the difficulty that all farmers encounter marketing their grains and oilseeds – deciding when to sell, at what price, and moreover, what the market is paying at any given time. Marketing information is critical, and to have it publicly available to all farmers on a user friendly site, updated frequently, is something new to the industry. This marketing tool is a necessary extension of the marketing freedom embraced in 2012, and we congratulate the AAFC and Minister Ritz for recognizing the need,” continued Robertson. The WBGA would like to thank Minister Ritz and the AWC for backing this initiative. Western Barley Growers Association is a strong voice for a vibrant, market responsive barley industry in Western Canada. For further comment, please contact: Doug Robertson President - WBGA 403-337-2077 403-337-2077 dougarob@gmail.com

The PDQ service will improve farmers’ ability to make well-informed marketing decisions and to maximize the value of their crops. 

As the basis for this service, member companies of the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA), at their election, will provide price information (elevator bids) for five commodities at all country locations. Information includes daily spot and forward bid prices for red spring wheat, prairie spring wheat, durum, canola and peas. 

“AWC is extremely pleased to launch PDQ, made possible by our collaboration with the major grain companies,” said Tom Steve, AWC General Manager. “This level of cooperation is encouraging and we look forward to improving the level of price transparency available for farmers and other industry stakeholders via PDQ.” 

The PDQ service compiles pricing information on its website, www.pdqinfo.ca, into regional price averages across nine zones covering Western Canada. Additionally, the site provides futures market closing prices, average wheat grade and protein spreads, local weather and foreign exchange rates. 

Future versions of PDQ will include customizable functionality and charting capabilities and AWC will endeavour to add other commodities. Additionally, current basis information will be linked to futures market prices. The site will not report final transaction prices, and will not replace the interaction between farmers and their local elevators or farm market advisors, but will provide easily accessible and reliable market trends and indicators. 

“PDQ will not engage in market advisory or analytical services, but it is designed to become the industry standard for cash grain price information across Canada for use by farmers,” said Steve. “A good segment of the industry is represented.” 

Wade Sobkowich, Executive Director of the Western Grain Elevator Association, adds “The members of WGEA compete for farmers’ grain, and have a long history of price transparency with their customers through daily e-mails, texts and online prices. In combination with existing purchasing discussions farmers currently have with their local elevators, PDQ is another way they can access more general market trend information.”