Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. lean hog futures rose as much as two per cent on Thursday, rallying to the highest levels in a week on gains in pork prices and as investors exited short positions ahead of a long holiday weekend, traders said. Most-active July hogs settled 1.45 cents higher at 81.275 cents/lb., with […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs up on pork gains, short-covering
South Africa’s parliament approves land expropriation bill
Johannesburg | Reuters — South Africa’s parliament on Thursday approved a bill allowing state expropriations of land to redress racial disparities in land ownership, an emotive issue two decades after the end of apartheid. Most of South Africa’s land remains in white hands and many commercial and small-scale farmers are currently facing tough times because […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cash price outlook extends CME live cattle losses
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures slumped for a second straight session on Tuesday, pressured by follow-through selling and potentially softer cash prices later this week, traders said. June live cattle closed down 0.15 cent/lb. at 118 cents, and August ended 1.275 cents lower at 113.175 cents (all figures US$). Futures […] Read more
Klassen: Improving margins support feeder market
Average western Canadian feeder cattle prices were $3-$5 above week-ago levels, with top-quality larger groups trading as much as $8-$10 higher. While current pen closeouts remain underwater, the deferred positions are somewhat brighter, which has rejuvenated buying enthusiasm. Most risk management strategies rely on cattle feeders staying in the game all year. There appears to […] Read more
Alberta lifts off-roading ban
Citing an outbreak of “wet and cool weather” across parts of the province, reducing the overall fire hazard, the Alberta government has lifted most of its restrictions on off-highway vehicle (OHV) use. The province lifted its OHV ban for “much of the province” except for its forest areas around Lac La Biche and Fort McMurray, […] Read more
April U.S. cattle placed in feedlots at three-year high
Chicago | Reuters –– The number of cattle placed into U.S. feedlots in April jumped seven per cent from a year earlier, according to a government report on Friday, far exceeding most analysts’ forecasts. Feedlots were still operating at a loss, analysts said. But lower prices for young calves allowed feedlots to buy more of […] Read more
How to get a handle on farmland prices
Farm Credit Canada tracks percentage changes across the country, while Alberta Agriculture looks at dollar values in municipalities
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farm Credit Canada’s recently released Farm Land Value Report and a database created by Alberta Agriculture can go a long way to helping producers establish a land value, says a provincial farm business specialist. “According to the new FCC report, Alberta’s change in farmland values was 11.6 per cent which was 1.5 per cent higher […] Read more
Uncertain times prompt growers to take out more insurance
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s an uncertain world out there, especially in farming — and that has more Alberta producers taking out crop insurance. “We’re seeing more acres being insured by Alberta producers on crops — last year we were close to about 78 per cent of acres insured,” said Merle Jacobson, acting president of the Agricultural Financial Services […] Read more
Guenther: Seeding in home stretch for dry NW Saskatchewan
Seeding is drawing to a close in northwestern Saskatchewan, largely due to warm, dry weather this month. On average, seeding in the northwest was over half done early in the week, according to the latest Saskatchewan Crop Report. Provincially, farmers are 51 per cent done, putting them miles ahead of the five-year average of 28 […] Read more
Alberta groups receive funding for farm safety training
Reading Time: 2 minutes Six Alberta organizations have received grants from Farm Credit Canada and the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association for farm safety training programs. The six Alberta projects were among the 13 organizations which received funding this year from the FCC Ag Safety Fund. Projects with a local or provincial scope can receive up to $5,000. The six […] Read more