(Eat Just/Business Wire)

Singapore approves sale of lab-grown meat in world first

U.S. maker says cultured meat's clearance may set template for future approvals

Singapore | Reuters — Singapore has given U.S. start-up Eat Just the greenlight to sell its lab-grown chicken meat, in what the firm says is the world’s first regulatory approval for so-called clean meat that does not come from slaughtered animals. The meat, to be sold as nuggets, will be priced at premium chicken prices […] Read more

CME February 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle strengthen on demand outlook

Export demand supports hog futures, for now

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures rose on Tuesday, supported by strong U.S. consumer demand and high wholesale beef prices, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange February live cattle futures added 0.3 cent to 113.175 cents/lb. (all figures US$). CME cattle futures have been steady in recent weeks, recovering from a slump in late October […] Read more



CME February 2021 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures gain on strong pork demand

Weak beef exports drag on live cattle futures

Chicago | Reuters — Lean hog futures gained on Monday as demand for pork keeps pace with strong production, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s benchmark February lean hog futures contract settled 1.325 cents higher at 68.575 cents/lb. (all figures US$). “Demand must be good,” said Alan Brugler, president of Brugler Marketing. “Cold storage stocks continue […] Read more


While the backlog of market-ready cattle is greatly reduced, prices remain depressed for feeders. It will be months before the situation is remedied, says Leighton Kolk.

The cattle backlog is easing, but feedlots are still hurting

Feedlot owners losing $200 to $300 a head even though glut of market-ready cattle is smaller

Reading Time: 4 minutes While the backlog of cattle from packing plant closures and slowdowns last spring has dwindled, feedlot owners are still being hit hard. In the spring, there was a backlog of 130,000 cattle that needed to be processed. That number is now down to 30,000, thanks to no more further shutdowns at packing plants, which have […] Read more

When it comes to burger ads, it’s pretty tough to tell McDonald’s Quarter Pounder (top left) from the company’s new McPlant burger (top right). But is it confusing in the grocery store? While Impossible Foods calls its ground beef substitute “burger made from plants,” (bottom right) Beyond Meat uses beef and ‘plant based’ but also a steer logo (bottom left).

Some cattle producers have a beef with fake-meat labelling

Is it misleading to use words like burger and meat for veggie substitutes?

Reading Time: 6 minutes Plant-based protein. Simulated meat. Alternative protein. When it comes to labelling fake meat, what’s in a name? Well, it depends on who you ask. Some say using words like ‘burger’ or ‘sausage’ to describe vegetarian fare is misleading. “To me, it’s obvious we’re producing the best meat product, because everybody else wants to call theirs […] Read more


(Diane Kuhl/iStock/Getty Images)

Tighter timeline set for dairy farmers’ trade pact compensation

Feather sector compensation pledged with $691 million in programs

Compensation to Canada’s supply-managed farmers, to offset domestic market share dealt away in two recent free trade pacts, will now move more quickly to dairy farmers — and will take the form of new programs for feather sectors. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Saturday announced $1.405 billion in compensation, as pledged in August last […] Read more

CME February 2021 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures trim as traders weigh weak exports

Lean hogs down with pork export figures

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures fell on Friday on profit-taking during a shortened holiday-trading day, while less-than-stellar weekly beef exports added pressure to livestock futures overall, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange February live cattle futures fell for the first time in the past five trading sessions, ending the day down 0.925 cent at […] Read more



Beef is on display at a Walmart in Beijing on Sept. 23, 2019. (File photo: Reuters/Tingshu Wang)

China’s coronavirus testing chokes beef trade

Additional inspections, disinfections costly for importers

Beijing | Reuters — In a supermarket in downtown Beijing, refrigerator shelves normally filled with steak from around the world sit empty as tougher testing for the novel coronavirus creates supply bottlenecks and raises prices for importers. Fresh supplies of beef won’t arrive for days, a salesman at the Suning.com-owned Carrefour outlet told Reuters — […] Read more