Livestock
U.S. meat industry lobbyists say Washington’s proposed new rules governing voluntary ‘Product of USA’ or ‘Made in the USA’ labels would “impose the same standard” as that country’s now-defunct mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) law — and frustrate U.S. packers who import Canadian meat or livestock. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Food Safety and […] Read more
Meat lobby says U.S. voluntary label rule could spur trade action
Ottawa to review Washington's proposed 'Product of USA' rule
Imagine moving your cattle with just a swipe on a smartphone
Nofence is already in use in Europe and now researchers are putting it to the test here
Reading Time: 4 minutes The idea is appealing: Imagine moving your cattle from the comfort of your armchair or while you’re away from the ranch. And it could become reality, says a University of Alberta professor who is testing Nofence collars, a product that its Norwegian maker bills as “the world’s first virtual fence for livestock.” “We see a […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle set contract high on tightening supplies
Chicago live cattle also up, lean hogs down
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle futures jumped to a new contract high on Monday on firm cash prices and increasing concerns about reduced U.S. herd numbers, analysts said. Traders focused on tighter cattle supplies as demand from meatpackers for livestock to slaughter remained strong. Ranchers have reduced herd sizes due to […] Read more
Feed cows at night, birth calves by day? It might work, but is it worth it?
Feeding pregnant cows in the evening may increase the odds of daytime calving, but there’s a but
Reading Time: 3 minutes Feeding pregnant cows at night may increase the chances that they will conveniently calve in daytime. “I think there could be some merit,” said Dr. Cody Creelman. “I’ve had several clients over the years try it. Several have thought it’s perhaps a good feeding method and they think that it does have the desired effect.” […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs rally on strong outside markets
Weather forecast also supportive
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog and cattle futures rose sharply on Friday, as gains in outside markets bolstered optimism about the economy and consumer demand for beef and pork, traders said. Concerns that a late winter storm forecast for the U.S. Midwest this weekend could disrupt supply chains added support to livestock […] Read more
Program sets a floor price for certified sustainable beef farms
BeefUp Sustainability aims to ensure certified farms get their funding, no matter where they are in the beef chain
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A new pilot program will ensure producers will receive at least $400 annually if they are certified under the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef program. Previously, if cattle moved through a non-certified player in the value chain, (for example, the cow-calf and feedlot operators were certified but not the backgrounder) they couldn’t […] Read more
Several countries ban Brazilian beef as BSE probe goes on
Russia among those halting imports
Sao Paulo | Reuters — The Brazilian agriculture ministry said on Thursday that Thailand, Iran and Jordan have temporarily suspended imports of beef from Brazil while authorities investigate a case of BSE in an animal from Para state, according to a statement sent to Reuters. The ministry also confirmed that Russia has halted imports from […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures drop but declines limited
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures weakened on Wednesday, with profit taking noted as prices remained near multi-year highs hit during February. Strength in the cash market limited the declines. Hog futures also were weaker but the market remained underpinned by hopes that recent weakness in soybeans and corn will cut […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures strong
Lean hog futures close mixed
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended firm on Tuesday, with the front-month contract hitting its highest in more than eight years as tight supplies continued to underpin the market. Hog futures ended mixed. Expectations for strong cash prices for the next few months due to tight supplies supported cattle futures. […] Read more
Now’s the time for a second look a cattle price insurance, says expert
Livestock Price Insurance and AgriStability make sense to enter when cattle prices are up
Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Livestock Price Insurance has never looked better for cattle producers, says a farm management specialist. Cattle prices have risen steadily over the past 12 months and are approaching the highs seen in 2014 and 2015, said Ben Hamm, an official with Manitoba Agriculture. “We saw some significant profitability in 2014-2015,” Hamm said […] Read more
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