Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association is hailing the completion of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement and encouraging its swift ratification. “The experience of the North American beef cattle industries under NAFTA is testament to the value of trade agreements,” it said. “Access to global markets, including the North American market, means that on average that each animal […] Read more

Trade deal hailed by Canadian Cattlemen’s Association

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs sink on big supply, premium to cash prices
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures fell on Thursday on ample supplies of hogs and a weak cash market, and as traders remain uncertain about how much additional pork China would buy as part of a Phase One trade deal with the United States. The actively traded Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) February contract […] Read more

African swine fever spreads near German border
Paris | Reuters — Poland recorded 55 outbreaks of African swine fever in wild boar near the German border last month, the world animal health body said on Thursday, in a sign the deadly virus is spreading near one of the European Union’s biggest pork exporters. A report posted on the World Organization for Animal […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Chinese buying drives record pork exports in November
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. pork exports in November surged to a record high for any month, according to new government data, driven by a fatal pig disease stoking a meat shortage in China. The shipments fueled expectations for more big sales to China, although U.S. hog futures slumped on Wednesday. China, the world’s largest […] Read more

Quick treatment of sick animals is often critical
Sometimes a wait-and-see approach works but often a rapid response is needed to prevent losses
Reading Time: 3 minutes Veterinary medicine, like human medicine, is very complex and difficult to master. Outcomes can rely on a quick, accurate diagnosis and followed up by a timely treatment. If we have made the right diagnosis, detected it early enough and treated with the appropriate product, then the odds of a successful prognosis will go up considerably. […] Read more

A year with more ups than downs, say these cattle producers
It wasn’t without its challenges, but 2019 worked out better than many had feared
Reading Time: 5 minutes This past year may have been a better year for Alberta’s cattle producers than 2018 was, but you’d be hard pressed to find many who would call it good. Between uncertain feed supplies, whiplash-inducing weather conditions, and variable cattle markets, producers across the province had to dig into their reserves, find a degree of patience, […] Read more

Sustainable beef production sees sharp increase
Reading Time: < 1 minute Production of certified sustainable beef has increased sharply in the past year, says the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. “We are excited to see such strong growth in the certification program over the past year, with a 45 per cent increase in the volume of beef that has been sold through the program, and a […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle pull back after Monday rally
Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. live cattle futures eased on Tuesday in a profit-taking setback from the prior session’s steep jump after weeks of rising cattle prices that have eroded beef packer margins. Live cattle futures were due for a pullback after scaling to an 8-1/2 month peak last week on strong beef demand and […] Read more

Klassen: Fed cattle market underpins feeder cattle prices
Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis at an average price of $275 delivered, which equates to $165 on a live basis. Fed cattle prices are now at 52-week highs and feeding margins are in the range of $50 to $70 per head. Strength in the cash fed cattle market was supportive […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle rally on tightening supplies, strong cash market
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures jumped by as much as two per cent on Monday and feeder cattle futures rose by up to three per cent, propelled by strong cash market prices and tightening supplies of animals, analysts said. A $2 jump in cash cattle prices at southern Plains feedlot markets late […] Read more