Reading Time: 3 minutes Crop insurance payouts could top a billion dollars for the devastating drought that has hit much of Alberta. “We collected about $600 million in premiums this year, so we’re looking potentially at payments twice that amount,” said Darryl Kay, CEO of Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC.) “It’s really early yet, so it’s hard to speculate […] Read more
Alberta crop insurance payout could exceed $1 billion
It’s too early for accurate estimates but the scale of the disaster is massive, says provincial crop insurer
U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hog contracts end firm
Chicago | Reuters — CME cattle and hog futures rose on Wednesday, supported by concerns about near-term supplies, traders said. Analysts were expecting a U.S. Agriculture Department report on Friday to show that the number of cattle on feed as of July 1 was 99 per cent of the year-earlier amount. Placements during June were […] Read more
‘Time is ticking’ on drought response for beef cattle sector
'We need answers like yesterday'
As Canada’s beef farmers and ranchers face drought, industry leaders are trying to find ways to secure feed and help those forced to sell rebuild their herds. B.C. ranchers are dealing with high temperatures that have “parched the grass that was there,” Kevin Boone, general manager of B.C. Cattlemen’s Association, said during a Canadian Cattlemen’s […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs firm on strong pork demand
October live cattle follow beef prices lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures gained on Tuesday on short-covering and continued firmness in the wholesale pork market, traders said. “August seems like its anchored by what’s going on in the cutout,” said Altin Kalo, economist at Steiner Consulting Group. “They’ve been surprised by the strength in the pork cutout.” […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market stays firm
Compared to last week, western Canadian prices for yearlings weighing 800 lbs. and over were unchanged; however, calves and yearlings in the 600- to 800-lb. category traded steady to $3 higher. The calf market was hard to define due to small groups of various quality. Strength in deferred live cattle futures along with the weaker […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle firm on tighter supplies
October hogs down on supply expectations
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle futures climbed on Monday, as supplies tightened in the northern U.S. Plains, traders said. “You’ve got a lot of empty yards,” said Scott Varilek, broker at Kooima Kooima Varilek Trading Inc. “We don’t have a lot of large supplies, large runs. You’re going to have to […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Firm cash markets lift hog futures
Cattle futures extend slide
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed higher on Friday as firm U.S. cash markets and rising pork prices underscored tight hog supplies, analysts said. News of the first confirmed cases of African swine fever in farmed pigs in Germany added support, raising uncertainty about pork export flows. However, exports of […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle drift lower
Lean hog futures end mixed
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures drifted lower on Thursday in lacklustre trade, with disappointing weekly export sales data and softening wholesale beef cutout prices adding pressure, analysts said. “The fact that the cutout on beef has been drifting lower just doesn’t give the market a lot of confidence that packers […] Read more
Being tense and temperamental may not be good for a cow’s health
The way cattle exit the chute could be an indicator of their chances of falling prey to a disease
Reading Time: 3 minutes Can your herd health improve if you know how to spot and cull the temperamental cattle? That’s what Diego Moya Fernandez is hoping to find out. “We are not trying to look for happy or sad cows,” said the assistant professor and researcher at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. “When I talk about temperament, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle fall on corn rally
CME lean hogs end lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed lower Wednesday, led by weakness in feeder cattle futures and profit-taking after a near two-week high, traders said. CME feeder futures set the tone, falling one per cent as corn futures jumped on worries about dry U.S. weather, a move that signaled higher costs […] Read more
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