CME October 2020 lean hogs with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise as pork supplies shrink

Texas cash cattle prices down on week

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures rose to their highest level in nearly three months on Tuesday after government data showed that the reopening of pork plants after a rash of COVID-19 shutdowns had not boosted supplies. Cattle futures were lower, pressured by signs of weakness in the cash markets, traders said. […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Yearling prices on fire

Canada's cattle herd remains in contraction stage

Compared to last week, yearlings coming off grass traded $3-$5 higher; backgrounded yearlings were $1-$3 higher on average while calf markets were relatively unchanged. February and April live cattle futures closed marginally lower for the week; however, fed cattle basis levels from U.S. packers are very strong for winter and spring. This appears to be […] Read more


CME October 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures fall as supplies grow more than expected

U.S. frozen pork inventory at nine-year low

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures fell on Monday, with the market under pressure from a government report that showed supplies were bigger than expected. The U.S. Agriculture Department’s monthly Cattle on Feed report on Friday afternoon showed July placements at 111 per cent of a year ago, above the average estimate […] Read more

CME October 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle slide ahead of USDA report

Lean hogs pull back from gains

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell on Friday on profit-taking and positioning ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cattle on Feed report, released after the markets closed. CME lean hog futures also ended lower, correcting after two days of positive movement, as optimism over rising hog slaughter rates strengthened […] Read more


A healthy foal starts with a healthy mare.

Mineral deficiency can affect both broodmare and her foal

For a healthy and well-nourished foal, start with a healthy and nourished mare

Reading Time: 3 minutes The physical demands placed upon the body of the broodmare are extraordinary, especially as the number of offspring she is expected to bear increases. These demands and expectations easily position the broodmare as a top performance horse in the horse industry. The broodmare relies on body reserves and nutritional resources to fund a smooth breeding […] Read more

(PorcOlymel.com)

Olymel’s Red Deer plant holds at one COVID case

Pork plant employee's contacts returning to work

A production line employee at Olymel’s hog slaughter plant at Red Deer, Alta. remains the facility’s lone COVID-19 case after her contacts at the plant tested negative for the virus, the company says. Olymel, the meat packing arm of Quebec ag co-operative Sollio, confirmed the lone COVID-19 case at its Red Deer site on Aug. […] Read more


CME October 2020 lean hogs with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs up as slaughter pace reaches pre-COVID levels

Pre-Labour Day buying winds down

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures gained on Thursday as slaughter rates returned to levels not seen since processing plants closed from COVID-19 outbreaks among workers this spring. Live cattle futures fell as pre-Labour Day buying wound down and the industry awaited Friday’s monthly Cattle on Feed report from the U.S. […] Read more

(Lovelyshot/iStock/Getty Images)

B.C. ag ministry to take over regulation for on-farm slaughter

Class D- and E-licensed sites to move to ag ministry oversight

British Columbia is set to consolidate all provincial-level meat inspection duties into its agriculture ministry — including the regulatory oversight for on-farm slaughter work. The province announced Wednesday that all slaughter work licensed under its Meat Inspection Regulation for Class A, B, D and E sites will now be regulated through the ag ministry, starting […] Read more


CME October 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures firm on wholesale strength

Hogs up as slaughter outpaces year-earlier period

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures gained on Wednesday as boxed beef prices offered support ahead of the upcoming holiday weekend, traders said. “It’s the main week for retailers to lock up their Labour Day supplies. That’s kept a floor under the cash market,” said Alan Brugler, president of Brugler Marketing. […] Read more

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Brandon pork plant’s exports to China suspended

Chinese protocols call for temporary pause, Maple Leaf says

New Chinese rules for exporters and a number of COVID-19 cases among its workers have led Maple Leaf Foods to temporarily halt pork traffic to China from its biggest hog plant. The company said Tuesday it has “temporarily suspended pork exports to China on a voluntary basis due to recent protocols adopted by the Chinese […] Read more