Livestock
The union for over 1,000 workers at a major Quebec hog slaughter plant is calling on the owner to temporarily close the facility against a COVID-19 outbreak now blamed for the death of an employee. Le Syndicat des travailleurs d’Olymel Vallee-Jonction-CSN said Wednesday the death of a worker earlier this week led it to demand […] Read more
Shutdown urged for Quebec pork plant after COVID-19 death
Union calls on Olymel to close site for at least two weeks
U.S. livestock: Hog futures fall for third day in a row
USDA report expected to show more cattle on feed
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell for the third day in a row on Thursday, with traders saying they expected the recent surge of Chinese demand for pork to fade as the world’s top consumer rebuilds its decimated hog herd. “I increasingly see more attention paid to deteriorating long-term export […] Read more
Beef carcass weights falling back in line
Reading Time: < 1 minute Carcass weights rose after COVID-19 disrupted processing at the Cargill and JBS beef plants but are now getting back to normal, says provincial livestock market analyst Jason Wood. “During a three- week period at the beginning of May, steer carcass weights rose 28 pounds to 926 pounds, above average for that time period.” Steer carcass […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures mixed
CME lean hog futures ease
Chicago | Reuters — CME live cattle futures eased on Wednesday, retreating back toward seven-week lows hit on Monday after a bargain buying bounce fizzled as plentiful supplies remained the focus of investors. Feeder cattle futures were slightly higher following the front-month contract’s decline to its lowest since July 1 on Tuesday. “The cattle are […] Read more
Klassen: Weather, COVID, feed grains pressure feeder market
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were $2-$4 lower on average; calves traded $2 to as much as $6 below week-ago levels. Southern Alberta received its first snowfall of the season last week, which hindered demand for fresh replacements. Feedlots always incorporate a risk discount when the first snowfall of the year materializes, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs fall on profit-taking, cattle firm on bargain buying
Concerns for beef demand still drag on cattle futures
Chicago | Reuters — CME livestock futures were mixed on Tuesday, with hog contracts falling on a round of profit taking while cattle contracts firmed on bargain buying. The benchmark December lean hog contract faced pressure after hitting its highest since Sept. 13, 2019, while February live cattle, which had fallen for four days in […] Read more
Alberta Beef Industry Conference cancelled
Reading Time: < 1 minute Organizers of the Alberta Beef Industry Conference have “made the difficult decision to postpone its annual in-person event until March 2022 given the uncertainty the COVID-19 pandemic has created.” The 17-year-old event is one of the country’s largest beef conventions and trade shows. The decision to cancel it “did not come lightly” but the safety […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures mixed, cattle drop
Technical selling pulls cattle futures lower
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures were mixed on Monday, with the nearby contract rising on strong export demand while deferreds eased on signs that China was making progress in rebuilding its decimated hog herd, traders said. Strength in the cash market supported the front-month December contract, which rose 2.3 per cent and hit […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures retreat from 11-month high
Cattle futures down on beef demand uncertainty
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures ended lower on Friday on profit-taking and disappointment over export demand, after prices climbed to the highest level in 11 months. Strong domestic demand for pork continues to underpin hog futures, analysts said, with the most-active December contract surging 39 per cent on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange […] Read more
Manitoba cattle sector gets COVID-19 AgriRecovery
Program to help offset costs from 'extraordinary feed period'
Manitoba cattle producers whose usual markets for finished cattle were temporarily out of reach this spring and summer may now be able to offset some of the resulting extra feed bills. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and her Manitoba counterpart, Blaine Pedersen, on Thursday announced the 2020 Canada-Manitoba Finished Cattle Feed Assistance Program, an AgriRecovery […] Read more
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