Due to reduced US corn production as a result of drought feed grain prices throughout North America have increased by an estimated 60 to 70 per cent over the past three months or so.

Farmlead.com, a new on-line platform which allows buyers and sellers of 80 different grains to connect, has introduced a new internet based feed listing service.

Farmlead president Brennan Turner says one of the biggest factors affecting the cost of grain is freight and it's not always easy to locate the closest grain supplies by phoning around.

Brennan Turner-Farmlead.com:

The prairie producing region, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, this summer had varied production.

I know that in my home area of Foam Lake, Saskatchewan an early rain this summer made barley yields and quality go from possibly malt stuff to feed quality in the east-central Saskatchewan region I know that there is some supply around there but where the big producers of the pork and cattle are in Alberta, obviously there's a significant demand there and supplies aren't necessarily able to keep up with that sort of demand.

There is a significant disconnect between what's available and what is being demanded.

What producers of pork. cattle or dairy are having to pay in terms of freight to ship stuff in is significant at this time of year when the U.S. drought has affected the prices in the market place so significantly.

Mr Turner says, whether it be freight charges or elevator tariffs livestock producers can save a considerable amount of money by buying their grain directly from the growers.