Livestock
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended lower for a second day in a row on Tuesday, pressured by more profit-taking ahead of potentially steady to weaker cash prices by Friday, said traders. December live cattle closed down 0.375 cent/lb. to 108.925 cents, and February ended 0.725 cent lower at 110.3 […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures extend losses
Let cattle do the seeding
When cattle graze on mature legumes, they will distribute species such as cicer milk vetch to areas where there were few or none before
Reading Time: 5 minutes Cattle can be managed to produce calves, beef and milk — but can they also be put to work reseeding pastures? As long as you’re not in a hurry, the answer is ‘yes,’ say producers who have managed beef cows and yearlings so they distribute legume seeds through their manure. There doesn’t appear to be […] Read more
Alberta Beef Producers delegates for the coming year
Reading Time: < 1 minute There was only one vote required in Alberta Beef Producers delegate selection process this fall. Zone 3 was the only zone with an election this year with the delegates in the remaining eight zones acclaimed. There are vacancies in Zones 2, 4, 5 and 9. Here is the list of delegates (an asterisk denotes those […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle prices climbing
Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were trading $5-$7 above week-ago levels, with higher-quality cattle trading as much as $10 higher. It’s difficult to quarrel with one’s bread and butter; feedlot margins are now in positive territory and cattle feeders are keen on ownership with the positive outlook into the March timeframe. Feature presort calf sales […] Read more
Farming work exempt from proposed Alberta helmet law
Farmers and ranchers at work would be exempt from a proposed new law requiring off-highway vehicle (OHV) users to wear helmets while operating on public land in Alberta. Provincial Transportation Minister Brian Mason on Monday announced proposed amendments to Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act that would require recreational users of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), snowmobiles, motorcycles, amphibious […] Read more
Taxability to rise on Saskatchewan rangeland
The percentage of value (POV) subject to property taxes will be bumped back up on Saskatchewan producers’ rangeland and pasture for the 2017 tax year. Government Relations Minister Donna Harpauer on Monday announced the POV on non-arable (range) land such as pastures will be set via regulatory amendment at 45 per cent, up from 40. […] Read more
More culls, quarantines added to bovine TB probe
Thousands more cattle and calves in southeastern Alberta are now booked to be destroyed, as a search continues for animals that had contact with one or more of six tuberculosis-infected Alberta cattle. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Monday announced its “herd” of animals known to have commingled with the TB-infected cattle has expanded to […] Read more
Restricted zone tightens for Algonquin wolf hunting
Farmers will be able to protect their livestock and families from Algonquin wolves in any areas and hunting will only be restricted in areas near four parks, allaying some concerns of farmers after the wolf was declared a threatened species. Kathryn McGarry, Ontario minister of natural resources and forestry, spoke to the Ontario Federation of […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures extend rally on packer demand
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle and hog futures extended gains to fresh multi-month highs on Friday, buoyed by technical buying and strong demand from beef and pork packers, traders said. Live cattle jumped more than one per cent at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, capping their fifth consecutive week of higher prices. Lean hog futures […] Read more
Olymel buys Alberta hog farming operation
Pork and poultry processor Olymel has tightened the links in the hog supply chain for its Alberta pork plant by buying supplier Pinnacle Farms. Olymel, the meat packing arm of Quebec’s La Coop federee, announced Friday it has bought Standard, Alta.-based Pinnacle, including all its hog inventory, for an undisclosed sum. The company’s 30 employees […] Read more