Livestock
Washington | Reuters – U.S. milk producers asked the government to increase aid payments to the industry to offset losses from foreign tariffs, saying dairy farmers have lost more than $1 billion in income since May. The administration of President Donald Trump in late May announced tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 […] Read more
U.S. milk producers ask government for more aid, citing $1 bln tariff impact
Plebiscite on provincial beef checkoff being held
Vote is being held until Nov. 13
Reading Time: < 1 minute Producers are being urged “to get out and vote” in a plebiscite on whether to make the $2 provincial beef checkoff non-refundable. “This is your opportunity to have your voice heard,” said Norine Moore, chair of the Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council. Currently, producers can request a full or partial refund of the checkoff. The […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hogs end limit-up on African swine fever jitters
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures surged on Wednesday as concerns about the spread of African swine fever, particularly in China, fueled buying that took some contracts up by as much as their daily trading limits. Additional support in actively traded December futures stemmed from the contract’s discount to cash hog […] Read more
Hay losses will be especially costly this year
Winter can be hard on both the weight and quality of hay — and push up feeding costs
Reading Time: 3 minutes Hay goes on a diet in winter, but how much weight it loses depends on how it was stored. “Over the course of a winter, bales weather and lose both weight and quality,” said provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. “This poses the key question of what kind of value losses occur when storing […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures slip from two-week high; hog futures firm
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures eased on Tuesday, retreating from a two-week high hit on Monday on a round of profit taking, traders said. Hog futures were higher, supported by a U.S. government report released after the close on Monday that showed supplies were tighter than expected. The most active December […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market volatility continues
Compared to last week, Western Canadian yearlings sold $4 to $6 lower while calves were extremely variable dropping $4 to as much as $10 in some cases. Many auction barns held feature sales last week and larger supplies weighed on the market. Weakness in the deferred live cattle futures also contributed to the softer tone. Feeder […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures rebound on supply reports
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle and hog futures rose on Monday, bouncing back from Friday’s decline as traders digested government reports that showed supplies, while remaining abundant, were less than expected. Concerns about the spread of African swine fever in China added support. The U.S. Agriculture Department on Monday reported that beef in cold […] Read more
Pork producers need to be on guard for African swine fever
The disease is ravaging herds in China and Europe, and could come here through infected feed ingredients
Reading Time: 3 minutes African swine fever hasn’t been found in North America, but pork producers still have reason to be concerned. “If we get it, we cannot control the spread and the whole population will be destroyed by it,” said Javier Bahamon, quality assurance and production manager with Alberta Pork. “Pretty much the whole population of animals needs […] Read more
U.S. farmers, government fight risk of African swine fever
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. hog farmers are ramping up safety procedures and leaving animal-feed ingredients imported from China in storage in an attempt to keep out a highly contagious swine disease that is sweeping through Asia and Europe. U.S. government officials said in interviews on Friday they are also increasing their ability to test […] Read more
CAQ taps businessman as Quebec’s new ag minister
Quebec’s new governing party has turned to one of its more experienced MNAs to handle the farm file. Premier Francois Legault on Thursday named Andre Lamontagne, a businessman and former supermarket owner and the MNA for the southwestern riding of Johnson, as his minister of agriculture, fisheries and food, and as minister responsible for the […] Read more