Livestock
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices for 800-pound plus cattle were $2/cwt to $4/cwt higher on average for the week ending January 27. Feeders in the 500-800-pound category were up $3/cwt to $6/cwt with higher quality groups up as much as $10/cwt in some cases. Feeders 500 pounds and lower were unchanged from seven days earlier.
Klassen: Positive fed outlook buoys feeder market
Market telling producers to own lighter cattle sooner rather than later
Forage blends benefit swath grazing
Winter feeding trial studies virtual fencing as well as potential of moving away from using only one crop in swath grazing
Reading Time: 2 minutes A researcher at Lakeland College says he wanted to investigate using forage blends in winter swath grazing systems to ease producer hesitancy. Obioha Durunna, who is now in the third year of the study, says he was also prompted by the limited information available on backgrounding weaned calves in such systems. Durunna says producers are […] Read more
CCIA launches major new tag retention initiative
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) is launching a major communications campaign aimed at improving RFID tag retention in the livestock industry. Throughout 2024, the CCIA will be providing new education materials and promoting best practices amongst producers and industry stakeholders, with the goal of elevating trust and confidence in the Canadian traceability program. The […] Read more
Sustainable beef program brings framework up to date
Includes focus on transparency, clarity and consistency
Reading Time: 2 minutes A leading industry-run sustainable beef program is touting a new and improved update of its guiding framework. The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) has released a “fulsome” rethink of the Certified Sustainable Beef Framework (CSBF) prioritizing transparency, clarity and consistency. It comes on the heels of the the framework’s first scheduled five-year review in […] Read more
Feed grain weekly outlook: Buyers looking towards springtime
Analysts suggest farmers will grow less barley
Feedlots continued to purchase corn imports from the United States, putting pressure on feed barley and wheat prices in Western Canada. However, the prospective of fewer planted acres this spring could give prices a boost.
Alberta expands livestock drought recovery supports
Only a narrow band of the province remains exempt from the aid program
The 2023 Canada-Alberta Drought Livestock Assistance initiative, funded through the AgriRecovery framework by the federal and provincial governments, offers payments of up to $150 per head to livestock producers who have 15 or more animals per type of livestock, and have altered usual grazing practices for more than 21 days due to drought.
Cattle sector awaits details on methane plan
Early thinking is that federal incentives to help producers reduce cattle emissions could fit with industry targets
Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Canada’s draft policy that would provide financial incentives to livestock producers to reduce methane from cattle aligns with the beef sector’s target to see those emissions reduced by one-third by 2030. The beef industry will have to see how well federal government proposals merge with its own efforts, which have already resulted in Canadian […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market holds value despite negative margins
U.S. demand limited with colder temperatures in Midwest
Calf markets appeared to trade $2 to $3 above week-ago levels on average. Feedlot margins on current pen close-outs are negative $300 to $350 per head but replacement markets haven’t missed a beat. Finishing feedlots were once again bidding aggressively on backgrounded cattle with fleshier types experiencing limited slippage. Larger pen sized groups were on the higher end of the priced spectrum with buyers avoiding smaller packages.
China to encourage hog farmers to reduce capacity after price slump
Aggressive expansion in Chinese hog sector turns to mounting losses on demand downturn
China will "guide" farmers to reduce hog production capacity as it steps up regulation of the industry, the agriculture ministry said on Tuesday, after an aggressive expansion drive led to an oversupply of pigs and heavy losses.
Beef marks GHG drop: report
Assessment reveals industry has reduced emissions by 15 per cent
Producing a kilogram of boneless beef cuts today involves 15 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than in 2014, according to the recently released National Beef Sustainability Assessment (NBSA) and Strategy report.