Livestock
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures rallied on Thursday on short-covering and position squaring near the end of the month and quarter after prices hit multi-month lows earlier this week, traders said. Investors also squared bets ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) quarterly hog and pig supply report, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs up before USDA confirms herd expansion
Cattle producers have made a lot of progress but still have a ways to go
The latest in-depth survey of the cow herd shows higher rates of vaccination, but gaps remain
Reading Time: 4 minutes A recent article on the results of a very in-depth survey of cow-calf herds across Western Canada notes there has been decent improvement in vaccination usage since surveys done in the early 2000s. But it pinpoints gaps in vaccine coverage that could be improved. There are things to be learned by every producer and veterinary […] Read more
You’ve got your feed results — now what?
Two new feed testing tools can identify potential issues and compare the value of different feeds
Reading Time: 2 minutes Two new online tools for measuring feed quality are now available. The tools (developed by the Alberta Beef, Forage and Grazing Centre) can help flag potential nutritional problems, and identify the comparative economic value of different feeds based on their quality. Feed testing can prevent ‘sneaky production problems ‘ (such as poor gains or reduced […] Read more
China’s shutout of Canadian meat scrambles global pork flow
Winnipeg | Reuters — China’s decision to block imports of Canadian meat has set off a global chain reaction in pork trading but it will do little to curb overall demand as a disease ravaging the Chinese hog herd elevates prices, industry experts say. China said on Tuesday it wants the Canadian government to temporarily […] Read more
Canada says bogus certificates being used to smuggle meat into China
Ottawa | Reuters — Unknown actors are using bogus certificates to smuggle Canadian meat into China, Trade Minister Jim Carr said on Wednesday, a day after Beijing halted beef and pork imports citing falsified paperwork. China, which has already blocked imports of Canadian canola seed and product from three pork plants, said on Tuesday it […] Read more
P.E.I. to manage deadstock removal
Prince Edward Island’s latest provincial operating budget calls for its agriculture and land department to directly manage removal of deadstock for dairy and beef cattle producers. Finance Minister Darlene Compton’s 2019-20 operating budget, presented Tuesday, said the province will take over management of the deadstock contract “to reduce the administrative burden placed on the dairy […] Read more
China halts Canadian meat shipments over bogus documents
Ottawa | Reuters — China said Tuesday it will turn away all meat shipped from Canada, just days before China and the United States sit down to work on settling a trade dispute that has also caught Canada in the crossfire. China launched an investigation after inspections found residues of ractopamine, a feed additive not […] Read more
U.S. launches criminal probe into alleged chicken price fixing by Tyson, rivals
Reuters — The U.S. Department of Justice has begun a criminal probe into allegations that Tyson Foods and other poultry processors including Pilgrim’s Pride and Sanderson Farms colluded to fix poultry prices, court documents show. The DOJ filed a motion to intervene and stay discovery of evidence in an antitrust lawsuit involving the companies and […] Read more
Klassen: Fed cattle bounce supports yearling market
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were relatively unchanged while calf values were extremely variable. In Alberta, calf prices were holding value but in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, feeder cattle under 650 lbs. were $3 to as much as $8 lower in some cases. Recent rains in Saskatchewan have come too late and auction […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hogs tumble for third straight session
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures fell sharply for a third straight session on Monday in a technical and fund- selling drop fueled by ample supplies of hogs and pork. Actively traded nearby contracts shed more than four per cent, with losses over the past three sessions topping 10 per […] Read more