Livestock
Reading Time: 2 minutes Grazing hayfields this fall is an option for keeping livestock out as long as possible, says a provincial forage and beef specialist. “Most hay stands will have a significant amount of alfalfa in them,” said Karen Lindquist. “Higher-quality hay typically needs to have a legume component to provide sufficient protein and energy to meet animals’ […] Read more
Grazing hayfields is an option this fall
However, there are some factors to keep in mind and you need to introduce cows properly
U.S. livestock: Hogs drop as large pork plants in Florence’s path
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures fell sharply on Tuesday as a powerful hurricane roared toward the U.S. East Coast, threatening hog production in the Carolinas, home to some of the country’s largest packing plants. Pork producer Smithfield Foods said it will be shuttering two of its hog plants in North Carolina on […] Read more
Sources say Canada ready to offer dairy access in NAFTA talks
Ottawa/Washington | Reuters — Canada is ready to offer the U.S. limited access to the Canadian dairy market as a concession in negotiations to rework the North American Free Trade Agreement, two Canadian sources with direct knowledge of Ottawa’s negotiating strategy said on Tuesday. U.S. President Donald Trump said at the White House that trade […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market waiting for direction
Average western Canadian feeder prices were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels; however, the yearling market in southern Alberta traded $3-$5 higher as feedlot operators focused on sourcing local cattle. High-quality yearlings are coming on the market and steady demand was evident across the Prairies. Strength in the deferred live cattle futures along with the deterioration […] Read more
Freeland to hold NAFTA talks Tuesday
Ottawa | Reuters — Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland will meet U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington on Tuesday for another round of talks to renew the NAFTA trade pact, an official said on Monday, as time runs short to seal a deal. Freeland spokesman Adam Austen did not give details. After more than […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hogs slip from three-week highs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures settled mostly lower on Monday as early support from a swine fever outbreak in Asia and a hurricane off the U.S. East Coast faded and the market retreated from three-week highs. Technical selling in the overbought hog futures market added pressure. “The market is running out of […] Read more
Have you been affected by drought?
Reading Time: < 1 minute Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is currently collecting information on conditions and impact of the drought in Western Canada. It’s asking producers to take an online survey, which takes about three minutes to complete. “This information helps justify and document the necessity for programs such as Livestock Tax Deferral,” it said, adding the results will be […] Read more
The milk in the middle of the high-stakes NAFTA drama
A new milk category thrust dairy farmers into a political firestorm — so what is Class 7 all about?
Reading Time: 3 minutes It seemed like a win-win — until a new milk category caught the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump and unexpectedly became one of the key sticking points in NAFTA negotiations. It’s called Class 7, which is milk protein isolates (dried milk powders high in protein). It was introduced in 2016 in response to diafiltered […] Read more
The cost of feed was a plus for dairy producers one year ago
Reading Time: < 1 minute Dairy farmers not only saw more demand for their production in 2017 but enjoyed lower feed costs, says the latest provincial report on the economics of milk production. The cost of producing milk in Alberta decreased by five per cent in 2017 compared to 2016, said research analyst Pauline Van Biert. “The total cost for […] Read more
Price plunge spells disaster for Alberta hog farmers
Demand is strong, Canadian packers are short 70,000 hogs weekly, but prices have plunged
Reading Time: 5 minutes A crash in prices — fuelled by Washington’s tariff war — could spell the end for many of Alberta’s dwindling number of hog operations. The sector has already lost half of its hog farms in the past decade and with producers losing $50 on every animal they ship, more are looking at throwing in the […] Read more