Livestock
Reuters — Packaged meat producer Maple Leaf Foods missed analysts’ estimates for quarterly profit on Thursday, as weak pork prices offset growth in its prepared meats business. Pork prices have taken a beating from the Sino-U.S. trade war, with China’s retaliatory tariffs affecting demand from the South Asian country, which is the world’s biggest pork […] Read more
Maple Leaf profit misses estimates on weak pork prices
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures reach new contract highs again
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures notched new contract highs for the third consecutive session on Wednesday before the rally fizzled out. Traders were searching for fresh news to push up prices after factoring in concerns about cold weather and snow in the central U.S. slowing weight gain in herds and disrupting shipments […] Read more
Wetland conservation a ‘win-win’ in dry ranching country
Wetland conservation has changed a lot since TK Ranch began partnering with Ducks Unlimited in 1957
Reading Time: 4 minutes Making a living off the land in Special Areas No. 2 has never been an easy prospect. During the Dirty ’30s, farmers in this little pocket of southeast Alberta were among the hardest hit in the province. And in a dry year, the area isn’t much better off today. There’s very little topsoil, very little […] Read more
Fed steer prices seen improving towards spring
The average Canadian beef cut-out value has strengthened about 10 per cent since the start of the year
Reading Time: 2 minutes A number of factors have been affecting recent fed steer and hay markets. Jason Wood, provincial livestock market analyst with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, has an update. Wood says that the Canfax reported price for Alberta fed, or slaughter, steers averaged just over $151 per cwt for the week ending February 8, 2019. That price […] Read more
China moves to halt swine fever with hog industry overhaul
Beijing | Reuters — China plans to divide its hog industry into five zones in an attempt to halt the spread of African swine fever across the world’s top pork producer and guarantee supplies. Beijing has reported more than 100 outbreaks of the disease, which is fatal to pigs but not harmful to people, in […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle set contract highs on winter weather
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures jumped to contract highs on Tuesday as traders worried about snow and cold temperatures slowing shipments of livestock to processing plants. Lean hog futures also rose in a turnaround from a slide to contract lows last week. Traders focused on the wintry weather as forecasters predicted more […] Read more
Klassen: Winter conditions weigh on feeder market
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels. The major feeding regions from Alberta to the U.S. Midwest and southern Plains have all experienced severe storms and extreme temperatures. The forecast for southern Alberta calls for lows of -25 to -32 C over the next seven days. Auction markets have a few […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs sag on large supply, shrug off trade talks
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures slumped on Monday as concerns about mounting supplies overshadowed hopes that Washington and Beijing will resolve the trade war that has reduced shipments of U.S. pork to China. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would delay an increase in U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods thanks to […] Read more
Canada’s Saputo to buy major U.K. dairy firm
A major British dairy company is poised to become the property of one of Canada’s biggest dairy processors in a $1.7 billion all-cash deal. Saputo Inc. announced Friday it has an agreement in place with Dairy Crest Group — the maker of Cathedral City cheese and Country Life butter among other major U.K. dairy brands […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle set one-year high on weather, supply concerns
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures reached a one-year high on Friday on concerns that cold, snowy weather next week may tighten supplies by slowing weight gain and transportation of livestock. Snowfall is expected to increase across the U.S. Plains, where the temperature outlook also is trending colder, according to weather forecaster Radiant Solutions. […] Read more