Chicago / Reuters – Some Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts settled down the 3.000-cent per pound daily price limit on Monday following Friday’s bearish U.S. Department of Agriculture cattle reports, said traders. Friday’s USDA monthly Cattle-On-Feed report showed the largest June cattle placements for the month in 11 years. The twice-yearly U.S. cattle inventory […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle plunge after USDA reports
Olymel to expand Quebec sausage plant
Quebec meat packing firm Olymel is set to double the production space at the La Fernandiere sausage plant it bought last year at Trois-Rivieres. The company, an arm of major agrifood co-operative La Coop federee, announced plans to spend $8.1 million to double the plant’s area to over 45,000 square feet, setting up more space […] Read more
Olymel plans sausage production at Red Deer
New equipment and refrigerated storage are going into Olymel’s Alberta pork processing plant at Red Deer as the facility gets into the sausage business. Pork and poultry processor Olymel, owned mainly by Quebec agribusiness co-operative La Coop federee, announced Monday it will put up $2 million to convert a section of the Red Deer plant […] Read more
Ontario hog farmers to get new options with Michigan plant
A combination of hog prices remaining high despite good supplies and a new processing plant in nearby Michigan have Ontario hog farmers optimistic about the near future. “It’s unambiguously good news to have more processing capacity close to Ontario,” said Patrick O’Neil, Ontario Pork’s marketing division manager, at the Ontario Pork Congress. The Clemens Food […] Read more
Hog rally good news, but exports needed long-term
CNS Canada — The recent rally in U.S. hog futures offers hedging opportunities and cash prices are supported for the short term, but Tyler Fulton at Hams Marketing tempers optimism for the longer-term outlook. “We have advocated for hedging, particularly for the fall and winter timeframe,” he said. However, he cautioned, the current rally is […] Read more
PEDv outbreak shows the ‘inconvenient’ truth about biosecurity
Officials say affected farms in Manitoba had good biosecurity protocols — but following them every day is another matter
Reading Time: 3 minutes Experts say the PEDv outbreak in Manitoba is a warning to livestock producers across the Prairies that biosecurity has to be a 24-7 priority every day of the year. Since late April, the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus has been found on 10 farms in three areas in southeastern Manitoba — and two of those areas […] Read more
New Manitoba PED case pushes envelope
Southeastern Manitoba’s latest on-farm cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) include one outside the buffer zones in which earlier cases have been found. According to Manitoba Pork, the province’s chief veterinary officer (CVO) on Wednesday confirmed positive tests for PED on a hog nursery operation outside an existing five-kilometre buffer zone. That case — along […] Read more
Canada beats U.S. in pork sales to China – feet, elbows and all
Winnipeg/Chicago/Beijing | Reuters — Canada has overtaken the United States as the top North American supplier of pork to China as farmers and meat packers in both nations battle for lucrative shares of the biggest global market. Canada’s pork sales to China, after a sharp rise last year, exceeded those of the U.S. in the […] Read more
Big uptake for more humane euthanasia device
Producers rush to acquire non-penetrating bolt stunner after Alberta Pork pilot project
Reading Time: < 1 minute A pilot project promoting a more humane euthanasia device has resulted in its widespread adoption in the Alberta hog sector. “This more humane method of euthanasia is now well accepted and is being used,” said Javier Bahamon, manager of quality assurance with Alberta Pork. “Today, 30 per cent of Alberta’s sow herd is covered. Now […] Read more
Sizzling hog market waits on new U.S. plants
CNS Canada — Prices for Canadian hogs are enjoying a seasonal bump as consumers prepare for the summer grilling season. In Canada, the Signature No. 5 (Maple Leaf) Index daily price was listed at $179.68 per 100 kg (ckg) on May 26. That price was up $1.11/ckg compared to the week previous, according to data […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
