Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle futures on Tuesday hit a new high for a sixth straight session, driven by a shortage of calves for fattening after several years of drought in the U.S. hurt crops, traders said. However, sufficient grazing pastures now are allowing ranchers to nourish animals to heavier weight […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle touch new highs as supplies tighten
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end two per cent higher
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle ended sharply higher on Monday, rising two per cent, supported by tight cattle supplies, higher wholesale beef prices and higher cash market prices, traders said. U.S. Department of Agriculture data showed cattle in the cash market traded at $144 per hundredweight (cwt) in Texas last week, […] Read more
Local food movement continues to soar
Visitors spent an estimated $878 million at farmers’ markets in Alberta in 2012, a jump of more than 50 per cent from four years earlier
Reading Time: 4 minutes Jered Serben never planned to become part of the local food scene, but is glad he is. The fourth-generation farmer grew up on a traditional hog operation, which transitioned to grain and then exited pork production when hog prices plummeted in the early 2000s. But his heart was never in it. “We got into more […] Read more
EU to test imports of live pigs from Canada, U.S. for PEDv
Brussels | Reuters –– European Union member states on Friday agreed that live pig imports from the U.S. and Canada must be tested for a deadly virus that has killed millions of U.S. piglets. The latest measures complement import requirements on pig blood products that may be used for feeding piglets — requirements to which […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs end higher, live cattle narrowly mixed
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs ended higher on Friday, supported by fund buying, anticipation of high cash prices and tight hog supplies, traders said. Lean hog futures rose more than one per cent on the day as consumer demand for grilling season grows even as pork and beef retail prices rise, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME feeder, live cattle end higher on tight supplies
Chicago | Reuters — Cheaper grain prices, firmer live cattle prices coupled with tight supplies and good pasture boosted Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle values into record territory on Thursday, traders said. CME August feeders ended at 199.825 cents per pound, up 1.05 cents, while the September contract closed up 0.75 cent at 200.25 cents/lb. […] Read more
U.S. orders farmers to report PEDv cases
Des Moines | Reuters –– U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday ordered farmers to start reporting cases of a deadly pig virus and pledged over US$26 million in funding to combat the disease, pushing back against criticism of his handling of a widespread outbreak. Vilsack, speaking to a roomful of farmers at an industry […] Read more
PEDv disrupts U.S. trade more than expected, USDA official says
Des Moines | Reuters –– The impact of a deadly pig virus on U.S. trade is mounting, with 11 countries limiting imports of live hogs and one banning pork imports, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s top veterinarian said Wednesday. El Salvador, Guatemala and South Africa have banned imports of live U.S. hogs following the discovery […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs end lower on soft cash market, heavy weights
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog contracts closed lower on Wednesday pressured by soft prices in the cash hog market as heavy weight hogs also dragged on futures, traders said. The front-month June contract traded at a premium to the CME lean hog index of 110.34, which also weighed. The CME June […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end up on beef demand
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle closed higher on Tuesday as strong beef demand and expectations of higher prices in the cash market lent support, traders said. “When you have futures trading at a discount to the cash market, that usually creates a bullish situation,” Lane Broadbent, president of KIS Futures, said. […] Read more