Princeton, Ore. | Reuters — A group of self-styled militiamen occupied the headquarters of a U.S. wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon to protest the imminent jailing of two ranchers, officials said Sunday, in the latest skirmish over federal land management in the U.S. West. The occupation, which began on Saturday, followed a march in Burns, […] Read more
Protesters occupy Oregon wildlife refuge as rangeland dispute flares
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Korea’s temporary ban on Canadian beef lifted
South Korea’s temporary ban on imports of Canadian beef and veal, imposed after Canada’s discovery of a 19th case of BSE in February, has been lifted as of Wednesday. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the Korean government’s decision Thursday. South Korea had re-imposed its ban on Canadian beef after the […] Read more
DuPont cuts jobs in Delaware ahead of Dow merger
Reuters — Chemical maker DuPont said it would cut 1,700 jobs in Delaware, as part of a previously announced plan to reduce its workforce before combining with Dow Chemical in a US$130 billion megamerger. The job cuts in the state, which has been its home for more than 213 years, will take place in the […] Read more
Saudi’s SALIC looking for land in Sudan for fodder
Dubai | Reuters — Saudi Agriculture and Livestock Co. (SALIC), an arm of the state-owned Public Investment Fund, is looking to buy land in Sudan to grow fodder, chief executive Abdullah Aldubaikhi said in an interview on Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV on Thursday. He was speaking the day after the company announced it had signed […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market grinds lower
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices ended the year on a soft tone, trading $5-$10 below week-ago levels; fleshier unweaned calves were down $10 to $15 because adverse weather plagued much of the Prairie region. Cattle buyers were busy on the phone, but receiving no orders. Feedlots appear to be content with their current inventory levels […] Read more
Wild bees seen dwindling in main U.S. crop regions
Washington | Reuters — Wild bees, crucial pollinators for many crops, are on the decline in some of the main agricultural regions of the U.S., according to scientists who produced the first national map of bee populations and identified numerous trouble spots. The researchers on Monday cited 139 counties as especially worrisome, with wild bee […] Read more
U.S. Nov. feedlot cattle placements slump to record low
Chicago | Reuters –– Cattle movement into U.S. feedlots in November fell 11 per cent from a year ago to their lowest level since the government began compiling the data in 1996, a U.S. Department of Agriculture report showed on Friday. Analysts attributed last month’s much smaller-than-expected placements to deteriorating margins that prompted feedyards to […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cash price caution tempers CME live cattle rally
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished moderately higher on Tuesday, after uneasiness about cash prices later this week pulled contracts from initial short-covering highs, traders said. Spot December ended up 0.775 cent/lb. to 120.3 cents, and February 1.125 cents higher at 125.525. Those who had been short futures covered those […] Read more
Hay producers see increased competition, lower prices
CNS Canada — Canada’s export hay prices have come down from summer highs and now sit at less than half their previous levels, but despite competition from other growing regions, a weak loonie is helping Canadian producers. South Africa, Eastern Europe and Argentina have increased their alfalfa production, said Edward J. Shaw, director of market […] Read more
U.S. livestock: COOL news weighs on CME live cattle, hogs
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell on Monday, partly led by the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) ruling against the U.S. in a meat-labeling dispute, said traders. Canada and Mexico may impose tariffs worth $1 billion onto U.S.-traded products, a WTO panel ruled on Monday, as the countries prepared to retaliate […] Read more