Photo: Thinkstock

Sask. livestock drought program extended

Ten RMs added to area eligible for per-head payment, application deadline lengthened

Governments have expanded and extended the Canada-Saskatchewan Feed Program available to the province's livestock producers. Ten rural municipalities have been added to the area eligible for the initial $150 per head payment, and the application deadline has been extended to March 15.

Klassen: Positive fed outlook buoys feeder market

Klassen: Positive fed outlook buoys feeder market

Market telling producers to own lighter cattle sooner rather than later

Western Canadian feeder cattle prices for 800-pound plus cattle were $2/cwt to $4/cwt higher on average for the week ending January 27. Feeders in the 500-800-pound category were up $3/cwt to $6/cwt with higher quality groups up as much as $10/cwt in some cases. Feeders 500 pounds and lower were unchanged from seven days earlier.


Preliminary results from a winter feeding trial at Lakeland College show that the overall feed quality of a forage blend in a swath grazing program is better than just oats.

Forage blends benefit swath grazing

Winter feeding trial studies virtual fencing as well as potential of moving away from using only one crop in swath grazing

Reading Time: 2 minutes A researcher at Lakeland College says he wanted to investigate using forage blends in winter swath grazing systems to ease producer hesitancy. Obioha Durunna, who is now in the third year of the study, says he was also prompted by the limited information available on backgrounding weaned calves in such systems. Durunna says producers are […] Read more

CME live cattle LEJ24 on Jan. 29 with Bollinger bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures ease on profit-taking after 2-1/2-month peak

Lean hog futures ended modestly higher; firm cash hog prices lent support

CME April live cattle futures LCJ24 settled down 0.450 cent at 181.225 cents per pound, retreating after rising to 183.450 cents, the contract's highest point since Nov. 7. Last week's firm cash cattle prices and technical buying underpinned the market, traders said.


CCIA launches major new tag retention initiative

CCIA launches major new tag retention initiative

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) is launching a major communications campaign aimed at improving RFID tag retention in the livestock industry. Throughout 2024, the CCIA will be providing new education materials and promoting best practices amongst producers and industry stakeholders, with the goal of elevating trust and confidence in the Canadian traceability program. The […] Read more

“Producers can now search the CRSB- certified status of an RFID tag on the Canadian Livestock Tracking System. We hope this search function will help with producer participation in the program.” – Kristine Tapley, chair of CRSB’s framework committee.

Sustainable beef program brings framework up to date

Includes focus on transparency, clarity and consistency

Reading Time: 2 minutes A leading industry-run sustainable beef program is touting a new and improved update of its guiding framework. The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) has released a “fulsome” rethink of the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework (CSBF) prioritizing transparency, clarity and consistency. It comes on the heels of the the framework’s first scheduled five-year review in […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

CCA disappointed, not surprised by breakdown in trade talks

Yesterday, federal officials said bilateral negotiations with the UK had been paused amid unhappiness on both sides

The Canadian Cattle Association says it's disappointed but not surprised by the UK's decision to pause talks on its free trade deal with Canada. “CCA has been following the bilateral negotiations closely and has been concerned at the lack of ambition and cooperation from the UK in these negotiations," said Nathan Phinney, the CCA's president, in a news release late yesterday.




In early December, the Saskatchewan River was at its second lowest level in the past 23 years.   Photo: Alex McCuaig

Alberta expands livestock drought recovery supports

Only a narrow band of the province remains exempt from the aid program

The 2023 Canada-Alberta Drought Livestock Assistance initiative, funded through the AgriRecovery framework by the federal and provincial governments, offers payments of up to $150 per head to livestock producers who have 15 or more animals per type of livestock, and have altered usual grazing practices for more than 21 days due to drought.