Livestock
Ottawa | Reuters — Canadian dairy farmers met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday to discuss his politically-risky move to open up the protected domestic market to U.S. industry but complained he had not given them details about compensation. As part of the talks to complete the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade deal, Canada […] Read more
Dairy farmers unhappy after meeting Trudeau on USMCA
Hog producers continue struggle toward profitability
CNS Canada — Hog prices might have regained some value in recent days, but many producers are still a long way from profitability, according to the chair of Manitoba Pork. That’s why lenders such as Farm Credit Canada, who show they understand the needs of producers who are dependent on commodity markets, are appreciated, said […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog, cattle contracts end mixed
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures were mostly lower on Thursday, with deferred contracts setting back on a round of profit-taking. The front-month October hogs contract ended slightly higher, but closed below session peaks, in thin trading. Live cattle contracts followed a similar pattern to the hogs, with the front-month contract […] Read more
Another blow for Canada’s dairy industry
Dairy farmers frustrated and disappointed but other farm sectors welcome the NAFTA replacement
Reading Time: 5 minutes Many Canadians breathed a collective sigh of relief when Canada, the U.S., and Mexico agreed to a new trade agreement at the end of September. But for the country’s dairy industry, this proposed deal is just another in a series of blows that is slowly but surely bleeding the industry dry. “This is definitely death […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs touch highest since April
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures rose for the fourth consecutive session on Wednesday and touched their highest prices in more than five months. CME October hogs traded up to 67.550 cents/lb., the contract’s highest price since April 20, before paring gains (all figures US$). It ended up 1.05 cents, to […] Read more
Family of goat lovers lives off the grid
Family uses mainly solar power and a wind turbine while raising goats, free-range chickens, turkeys, geese, and hogs
Reading Time: 3 minutes Kids abound at Will O’ the Wisp Paddocks. Amy Leitch and husband Kevin have four of their own, along with numerous goat kids in their flock of 77 goats. “We chose Kiko goats which are from New Zealand. They’re bred from the best of the best and this is a breed that is known worldwide,” […] Read more
‘Wood’ you know what kind of bison that is? It’s plain difficult
Woods and plains bison are impossible to tell apart, but a new genomics test will settle that question
Reading Time: 3 minutes Can you tell the difference between a wood bison and a plains bison? Most people can’t — which is partly why Delta Genomics and a team of collaborators are developing a genomics test that will be able to distinguish the two. “The biggest difference is that wood bison — their natural habitat is restricted to […] Read more
Trudeau takes Quebec dairy gamble to preserve big trade deal
Ottawa/Montreal | Reuters — With his political future at stake, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will mount a charm offensive to placate dairy farmers who say he sold them out in order to win approval of a continental trade deal. Compounding Trudeau’s challenges in the influential province of Quebec, where many dairy farmers are based, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures extend rally
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rose for the third day in a row on Tuesday, with the market still underpinned by the trade deal among the U.S., Canada and Mexico, traders said. But technical buying pulled prices from their highs and the market failed to take out the 5-1/2-month high […] Read more
Klassen: Improving margins underpin feeder market
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings advanced $2-$5 while calves were unchanged to $3 higher. April live cattle futures are in a bull market; I’ve had many calls from producers and all I tell them is that April live cattle futures are in a bull market. Just as important, a market will not culminate […] Read more