Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Tuesday reversed some of Monday’s losses, aided by short-covering and technical buying, traders said. Prior to Tuesday’s session, CME live cattle showed a Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 28. A reading below 30 suggests a market is technically oversold and subject to an upward […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Technical buying rallies CME live cattle
Challenge equals opportunity for Outstanding Young Farmers
Reading Time: 3 minutes Schooten and Sons is one busy place. The Lethbridge-area operation has four feed yards with a combined 40,000-head capacity; 6,300 acres of crops and pasture; a 300-head cattle herd; custom farming business; trucking company; composting operation; and 35 employees. It’s a big change from the smaller, single feedlot that Shane, Cody, and Justin Schooten grew […] Read more
Warm, wet weather sees good crop advancement
Alberta crop conditions as of June 14
Reading Time: 1 minute During the past week, rain has continued to fall — mostly in the form of widespread thunderstorm activities. Almost all agricultural lands received up to 20 mm of rain, with large areas in North East, North West and Peace Regions receiving upwards of 50 mm. The generally warm wet weather across the province has contributed […] Read more
Capturing value from riparian areas
The first step is to have a plan before you start fencing, says riparian management expert
Reading Time: 5 minutes Ask just about any Alberta farmer about the worst drought in recent memory and there’s a good chance they will say 2002 — a year that saw water supplies devastated throughout the province. For Sean McGrath, some foresight around land management that year prevented what could have been a disaster. Fencing off a dugout and […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Fund liquidation sinks CME live cattle
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed lower on Friday, hit by fund selling and caution while awaiting market-ready, or cash, cattle prices by day’s end, said traders. June live cattle closed down 0.75 cent/lb. to 122.45 cents, after drifting below the 100-day moving average of 122.71 cents (all figures US$). […] Read more
Warm weather boosts crop emergence, surface moisture ratings good
Alberta crop conditions as of June 7
Reading Time: 2 minutes Crops and forages throughout the province benefitted from the warmer weather of the past week as temperatures rose into the mid to high 20’s and even the low 30’s in southern Alberta. The warm temperatures enhanced crop emergence to 91 per cent germinated and allowed emerged crops and forages to take advantage of the good […] Read more
Canada’s PSP buys stake in tag maker Allflex
Reuters — PSP Investments, one of Canada’s biggest pension funds, said Friday it had acquired a significant minority stake in Allflex Group, the world’s biggest maker of electronic tags for animals, from private equity firm BC Partners. The purchase was overseen by PSP’s new team in London, led by Simon Marc, and is likely to […] Read more
La Nina effect in U.S. may not spill onto Prairies
CNS Canada — As the El Nino weather event of 2015-16 gradually fades into memory, most weather forecasters say it’s slowly being replaced by its cousin, La Nina. The La Nina phenomenon usually happens when water temperatures along the equator in the Pacific Ocean fall by 3 to 5 C. According to Drew Lerner of […] Read more
It’s never too late to feed test
There’s ‘no substitute’ for knowing the precise energy, protein, and nutrient content of your feed, says a provincial specialist
Reading Time: 2 minutes If cattle feed supplies are starting to get low and pastures need more time before turning cattle out, a provincial beef extension specialist recommends doing feed tests on remaining feed. “The more you know about what you are working with for feed values, the more accurate you will be targeting the animals’ nutrition and ensuring […] Read more
Southern Alberta could soon have Texas weather
Want to see the climate projections for your county? New online atlas predicts a sweltering future
Reading Time: 5 minutes Western Canada is on an “inevitable” march towards hot, dry summers and mild winters that will make southern Alberta feel like northern Texas, according to a new climate change mapping program. “One of the big, striking conclusions of the atlas is that, even if we reduce emissions, we still see substantial changes to our climate,” […] Read more