Livestock
March 30 — Compared to the previous week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to $3 lower on average. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $245-$249 delivered, down from the average value of $250 seven days earlier. Deteriorating feeding margins set a negative tone for the […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market exhibits defensive tone
U.S. livestock: Limit-up grains pressure feeder cattle, lean hogs
Beef demand supports CME live cattle
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. feeder cattle futures dropped on Wednesday, reacting to limit-up gains in corn and soybean futures that will translate to higher livestock feed costs as grain users compete for tight supplies, traders said. On the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the most-active May feeder cattle contract finished 2.8 cents lower at 149.4 cents […] Read more
Focusing on the big three calf conditions will pay dividends
Scours, pneumonia or navel infections are commonplace but their incidence can be reduced
Reading Time: 3 minutes Most experienced cattlemen will have had an increased incidence in one of the three main calf diseases we see on ranches across Western Canada. These can be smouldering problems and occur year after year. I have spent many a time over my career discussing treatment of scours, pneumonia or navel infection (and then, ideally, working […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures rise as cash market firms
Rally pauses in CME cattle futures
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures rose on Tuesday, with the benchmark June contract setting a life-of-contract high on firm cash hog prices and signs of tightening supplies at a time of robust demand for pork, analysts said. On the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, most-active June lean hog futures settled up 0.8 cent at […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Firm beef prices lead cattle futures higher
CME lean hogs' rally pauses
Chicago | Reuters — Benchmark live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange climbed to a contract high on Monday, led by firming wholesale beef prices as the summer grilling season approaches with the U.S. economy seems poised to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, traders said. Feeder cattle futures also set contract highs. CME April […] Read more
Brent Moen stays on as Alberta Pork chair
Reading Time: < 1 minute Brent Moen is continuing on as chair of Alberta Pork. Moen and Craig Thompson were re-elected at the organization’s recent AGM along with new directors Ard Bonthuis and Andy Walter. They join four other board members: vice-chair Stan Vanessen, Martin Waldner, Hendrik Fourie and Marcel Rupert. Alberta pork producers have had a tumultuous year with […] Read more
JBS profit bolstered by weak currency, strong Chinese and U.S. markets
China became third largest beef export market for JBS Canada, company says
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Meat processor JBS SA’s fourth-quarter profit rose 65 per cent from a year earlier, boosted by strong food sales in China and the U.S. and a sharp devaluation of Brazil’s real currency, the company said in a securities filing on Wednesday. For full-year 2020 its profit was 4.6 billion reais, […] Read more
Hog market recovering from pandemic lows
China again a major driver of hog values
MarketsFarm — In April 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, prices for lean hog futures dropped to their lowest point since 2002, falling below US$40 per hundredweight. Nearly a year later, the industry is in the middle of a speedy recovery. At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) on Thursday, lean hog futures […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures notch new highs on tight supply
Cattle futures firm on cash values
Chicago | Reuters — Lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange found life-of-contract highs for a second day on Friday after the U.S. Agriculture Department reported tight supplies in its quarterly hogs and pigs report after the close Thursday. CME April lean hogs settled up 1.125 cents at 100.8 cents/lb., after reaching a contract […] Read more
Matchmaking: Select cattle genetics that are a fit for your operation
Factors such as forage quality or even how far cattle walk can be key when selecting genetics
Reading Time: 4 minutes Putting cattle into an environment that doesn’t suit them is like jamming a round peg in a square hole — you might be able to make it work, but it’s going to take some effort. “Genetic selection is really about putting DNA into production,” said Vermilion-area beef producer Sean McGrath. “You’re buying DNA and you’re […] Read more
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