Livestock
Highly pathogenic avian influenza in domestic birds in Canada appears to be in check so far this month in most regions of the country outside southwestern B.C. — but for one recent case in Atlantic Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed an outbreak of high-path avian flu in what it describes as […] Read more
Avian flu pops back up in New Brunswick
B.C. only other province with cases so far this month
U.S. livestock: CME hog futures sag as pork prices hover near two-year lows
Live cattle mixed, March feeder cattle up
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell on Wednesday as cash hog prices remained soft and wholesale pork prices lingered near two-year lows, traders said. “We continue to search for a bottom on the hogs, and the cash market stays under pressure,” said Don Roose, president of Iowa-based U.S. Commodities. “It’s […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures sag on long liquidation, rising grains
Hogs end mixed as traders' net long position shrinks
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell on Tuesday, on spillover weakness from feeder cattle futures and long liquidation as market players responded to a hefty net long position held by commodity funds, analysts said. CME February live cattle settled down 0.725 cent at 157 cents/lb. and April futures fell 0.8 […] Read more
China’s 2022 pork output highest in eight years
Average hog weights remain relatively high
Reuters — China’s pork output increased 4.6 per cent in 2022 from 2021 to reach its highest level since 2014, official data showed on Tuesday, confounding some expectations for a smaller rise. Pork output in the world’s top producer of the meat reached 55.41 million tonnes, the highest since 56.71 million tonnes recorded eight years […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market price discovery continues
Ontario buying interest leading Prairie market
In last week’s issue, we mentioned there was a large discrepancy in prices across Western Canada. Compared to the third week of December, prices in Manitoba were up $8/cwt to as much as $15/cwt, while Alberta markets were steady to $2/cwt higher. This past week, feeder prices in the eastern Prairie regions were relatively unchanged […] Read more
Canadian Pork Council names new top brass
Rene Roy elected as council's new chair
A few weeks after hiring a new executive director, members of the Canadian Pork Council have also chosen their new board chair and first vice-chair. The council on Tuesday announced it had elected Rene Roy, a hog producer from St-Jules in Quebec’s Beauce region, as its new board chair, and Scott Peters, a producer from […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end firm on tight supplies, lower weights
Hogs mixed on weak cash prices, higher cutout
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended mostly firm on Friday, underpinned by tight supplies and as harsh winter weather in recent weeks lowered cattle slaughter weights and limited beef production, traders said. Live cattle futures prices remained bound in a recent trading range as cash cattle prices at Plains feedlot […] Read more
Alberta Beef Producers needs more delegates
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Beef Producers is still looking for delegates after recent elections failed to yield a full roster. All the candidates who put forward their names were elected by acclamation. In the southeast zone, Brodie Haugan (Orion), Craig Lehr (Medicine Hat) and Kent Holowath (Rumsey) were acclaimed. In the southwest zone, the delegates are Fred Lozeman […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs end mixed, cattle mostly lower
Corn's rally put pressure on feeder cattle futures
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures ended mixed on Thursday, with actively traded nearby months down on weak pork prices and dull demand, while deferred contracts rose on expectations for tighter supplies in coming months, traders said. The February hog contract was down for the 10th time in 11 sessions and […] Read more
Goodbye and good riddance — 2022 was not kind to cattle feeders
The COVID hangover, more cattle on feed, and lots of labour woes all contributed to a year to forget
Reading Time: 4 minutes The fed cattle sector couldn’t catch a break in 2022 and it wasn’t any one thing that created the problem. “This has been going on for sure since February/March,” said Jacob Bueckert, who operates Driland Feeders near Warner and is chair of the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association. “I don’t know if we ever fully caught […] Read more