Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle and feeder cattle futures plunged to contract lows on Tuesday while lean hogs also extended recent losses, pulled down by ample supplies of animals for slaughter, and meat in storage. Expectations for lower cattle prices in cash markets also weighed. Live cattle and feeder cattle had declined by […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle, feeders fall to contract lows on fund selling
U.S. livestock: Technical trading, holiday fears sour hog, cattle futures
Chicago | Reuters –– The Chicago Mercantile Exchange saw all of its live cattle and all but two feeder cattle futures contracts fall by the daily trading limit on Monday, pressured by technical selling and weakening wholesale beef prices, traders and industry analysts said. Meanwhile, CME lean hog contracts continued their slump on Monday, dropping […] Read more
Klassen: Quality calves support feeder market
They say a sudden windfall can provide a false expectation of future performance. This is definitely true of the cattle feeding business. Western Canadian feeder cattle prices continued on a mixed volatile tone over the past week, trading $10 lower to as much as $10 higher. Feedlot operators shrugged off the sharply lower live cattle […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lower cash prices again send CME hogs to six-year low
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog contracts drifted to a six-year low for a second straight day on Friday as plentiful seasonal supplies pulled prices for market-ready (cash) hogs lower, traders said. Spot December finished 0.4 cent/lb. lower at 55 cents, and February ended down 0.3 cent at 58.3 cents. Cash hog […] Read more
Don’t be fooled by yellow toadflax’s good looks
Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s often mistaken for a type of snapdragon, but don’t be fooled by this invader of fields and pastures. Originally brought from Europe as an ornamental, quick-spreading yellow toadflax — a.k.a. wild snapdragon — is found all across North America. It spreads by both seed (up to 5,000 seeds per stem) and its creeping root […] Read more
Global markets: WHO research
CNS Canada — The following is a glance at the news moving markets globally. PROCESSED MEAT CAUSES CANCER, WHO SAYS — Eating processed meat can cause bowel cancer, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday. The WHO added processed meats, such as hot dogs and ham, to its group one list, which also includes items […] Read more
Sept. U.S. feedlot cattle placements near 20-year low
Chicago | Reuters — The number of cattle moved into U.S. feedlots in September fell to its lowest since the government began compiling the data in 1996, a U.S. Department of Agriculture report showed on Friday. Last month’s placement results were nearly in line with analysts’ forecasts, mostly based on the fall in prices for […] Read more
Alberta producers in the final stages of harvest
Alberta crop conditions as of October 20, 2015
Reading Time: 2 minutes Harvest is in its final stages. Producers were able to take advantage of warm, mostly dry conditions this past week to raise the completion percentage to 96.3 per cent. Dry beans and potatoes are virtually completed and only 15 per cent of the sugar beet crop remains to be dug. What remains outstanding is principally […] Read more
Alta. feed prices hang steady despite swings in quality
CNS Canada –– As harvest winds to a close across the Prairies, some feedlot operators say they’ve noticed more feed barley and feed wheat out there than they initially thought. The quality of the feed varies greatly, with some second-cut wheat being accepted as high-quality with reasonable protein, while other loads arrive with sprouting, bleaching […] Read more
Don’t let this invader take hold
Reading Time: < 1 minute Leafy spurge is common throughout Alberta due to its ability to adapt to a variety of soil types through its extensive creeping root system. Stems are smooth and arranged in clumps, can grow up to a metre tall, and contain a milky latex. When it comes into contact with skin, the latex can cause irritation […] Read more