Livestock
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $2-$5 lower on average. Values in Alberta were relatively unchanged but markets in the eastern Prairie regions appeared to trade $4 to as much as $6 below week-ago levels. Alberta yearlings were relatively unchanged, but noticeable slippage was noted in the non-major feeding regions. Feedlots […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market lacks buying interest
‘Weak positive’ PED turns up in Alberta sample
A “weak positive” finding of the porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus from ongoing sampling in Alberta offers a warning that the hog disease may not have yet left the province alone. The chief provincial veterinarian’s office (OCPV) on Monday reported that the agriculture department’s lab in Edmonton on Jan. 22 found a weak PED positive […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs firm, cattle mixed after limit-down moves
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog contacts firmed on Tuesday, edging off a 5-1/2-month low hit on Monday on a mild round of bargain buying. Cattle futures were mixed, with the most-active fed cattle contracts also bouncing slightly while live cattle futures weakened to the lowest since Oct. 21. Fears about the spread of a […] Read more
Fostering forage and grasslands in the Special Areas
The region has been hit hard by a multi-year drought so rejuvenating forage stands is a challenge
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s a bitterly cold day with the wind blowing hard from the north and few trees to hide behind. Scott Proudfoot, though, has grown to cherish the wide-open spaces in the Special Areas of southeastern Alberta. “I’ve fallen in love with it out here. It’s one of the last places in the world you can […] Read more
Chinese meat packing giant locks in JBS supply
The world’s biggest pork packer is poised to source additional beef, poultry and pork from the world’s biggest meat packing firm. Brazil’s JBS announced Monday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hong Kong-based WH Group for “supply and distribution of fresh beef, poultry and pork to the Chinese market” starting in the first […] Read more
The Big Squeeze: Alberta cattle sector struggling to get ahead
In this tight-margin business, a host of smaller factors pull down profitability
Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta’s cattle industry may not be facing another near-fatal blow like BSE, but it’s hemorrhaging all the same. And this time, it’s a death by a thousand cuts, says a new study. Government regulations. Global trade wars. Rising land prices and ever-higher costs. Drought. Feed shortages. Head taxes and exclusion zones. There’s not one single […] Read more
Virus concerns add more uncertainty to cattle market
MarketsFarm — Cattle futures in Chicago dropped hard over the past few days, as mounting concerns over the new coronavirus in China triggered a broad-based selloff in global equities and commodities. While the virus adds an extra layer of uncertainty to the North American cattle market, expectations for solid beef demand should remain supportive for […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs limit down on coronavirus fears
Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. hog and cattle contracts fell their daily trading limits on Monday, hitting multi-month lows on fears about the spread of a coronavirus in China. “If we thought China’s coronavirus was making the media rounds late last week, it’s a full-fledged media frenzy this morning,” INTL FCStone said in a note […] Read more
Agropur pulls milk over sanitizer residue concerns
A case of “discomfort” reported by one consumer has led North America’s biggest dairy co-operative to pull certain batches of milk from sale in Quebec and Ontario. Agropur on Friday announced a voluntary recall of certain bagged and cartoned milks made at its Ottawa processing plant and sold under the Sealtest and L’ecole c’est nourrissant […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle set multi-month lows as virus fears hit markets
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live and feeder cattle futures touched their lowest prices in months on Friday as traders booked profits amid fears about the spread of a new virus from China. Broad selling also hit hog futures, along with equities and crude oil as investors moved into safe-haven assets. Developments in the spread […] Read more
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