Livestock
Dairy giant Parmalat’s proposed $1.62 billion deal for Kraft Heinz’s “natural” cheese business in Canada has cleared federal antitrust regulators. The federal Competition Bureau on Thursday said it issued a “no action letter” to the two companies and would put up a position statement detailing its reasons in the “coming days.” The deal is expected […] Read more
Parmalat’s play for Kraft cheeses clears regulators
Brazil reports atypical BSE case
Sao Paulo | Reuters — The Brazilian government reported on Friday a case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an animal in Mato Grosso state, according to a statement from the country’s agriculture ministry. The ministry said the case of BSE, also known as mad cow disease, was detected in a 17-year-old cow. It […] Read more
Rancher finds success after realizing he had things backwards
Morrie Goetjen spent years focusing on his cattle, but he now says it’s healthier soil that is the key
Reading Time: 4 minutes What do a policeman and cattle producer have in common? Probably not much, unless you are Morrie Goetjen. The Calgary-area producer has been farming full time since the mid-’80s but since retirement has been able to really focus on his cattle operation. Goetjen has land both northwest of Calgary and northeast of Cremona. The two […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog, cattle futures fall after Trump opens new front in trade war
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle and hog futures fell on Friday, pressured by fears that Mexico, a key importer of both U.S. beef and pork, will retaliate against President Donald Trump’s proposal to impose tariffs on imports from Mexico. The fresh trade concerns, coming at a time when U.S. supplies of both […] Read more
Mistakes with livestock pharmaceuticals are costly in more ways than one
There are several things you should do regularly to ensure you’re using products properly
Reading Time: 3 minutes Now that I’m in the pharmaceutical industry, I get lots of calls in regard to which products can and can not be used. Or what happens if they are given by the wrong method in the wrong location. I am hoping this article will shed some light on the situation and ensure that our livestock […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Futures fall as corn rally boosts feeding costs
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle and hog futures closed mostly lower on Thursday, with a rally in the corn market pressuring livestock contracts, traders said. “It had a lot to do with corn going up,” said Doug Houghton, an analyst with Brock Associates Inc. “Feed costs are higher.” Feeder cattle futures notched […] Read more
China faces long struggle to tackle African swine fever, OIE says
Paris | Reuters — It will take years for China to contain the deadly African swine fever virus that has spread throughout the country, which is the world’s biggest pork producer, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said on Tuesday. China has been struggling to control the epidemic, which some analysts predict could see […] Read more
Stability of Steady Eddie cattle market is the envy of other sectors
Calf prices a bit higher, exports edging up, and despite a smaller herd, processing is doing well
Reading Time: 3 minutes There have been a few small hiccups but unlike much of the ag sector, the cattle market has been blissfully uneventful in recent months. “Calf prices are generally higher than a year ago. We’re seeing our calf and feeder prices 15 to 20 cents higher than a year ago, which is pretty positive,” said Brian […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures firm as cash market steadies
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures firmed on Wednesday, supported by a steadying cash market, traders said. Cash cattle traded at $115 in Kansas on Tuesday (all figures US$). That was unchanged from a week earlier and came after five straight weeks of declines, said Rich Nelson, chief strategist with Allendale Inc. […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures fall with demand uncertain due to trade fights
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell 2.9 per cent to their lowest level in nearly three weeks on Tuesday, with concerns about demand from top buyers in focus amid a record-large supply in the U.S., traders said. The market shrugged off a U.S. Agriculture Department report from last week that […] Read more