Livestock
Reading Time: < 1 minute When planning to buy or sell a confined feeding operation (CFO), consider contacting the Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) early in the process to understand the rights and obligations under the Agricultural Operation Practices Act. Anyone who buys or otherwise acquires a CFO permit must inform the NRCB of the change in ownership by contacting […] Read more
Buying or selling a confined feeding operation
Updated Certified Sustainable Beef Framework released
The program, launched in 2017, came up for its five-year review in 2022
A new and improved Certified Sustainable Beef Framework has been released following its first, five-year review announced the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) today.
Export hay prices show serious decline in 2023
Less demand from China, better U.S. growing conditions and Japanese vertical integration affect markets
Reading Time: 2 minutes “Violent whiplash” is how forage markets in the western United States are described by Joshua Callen of the Hoyt Report of Idaho. He spoke at the recent Canadian Forage and Grassland Association convention in Harrison Hot Springs in British Columbia. The West Coast generally sets the hay price in North America and its markets experienced […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market quiets at year-end
Feeding margins have moved into negative territory, setting a negative tone for replacements
The last full week of 2023 was characterized by lower volumes and limited buying interest. Feedlot operators don’t want to weigh down schedules of hired hands over the holidays. Many auction barns were closed for the season while some held bred cows and bred heifer sales.
Smaller U.S. swine herd likely as Prop 12 takes effect, think tank says
Canadian pork sector concerned the animal welfare law will act as a non-tariff trade barrier
The cost of compliance with a California animal welfare law, which takes full effect on New Year’s Day, will likely shrink the U.S. national hog herd and lead to further consolidation, a Washington State think tank says. “No one will be spared the change in market pressures,” wrote Pam Lewison, director for the Washington Policy […] Read more
Feed Grain weekly outlook: Corn, barley on level ground
High Canadian dollar behind lower corn trading
Prices for Canadian feed barley and United States corn imports reached parity as the feed grain market took a breather between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
What to consider when valuing a crop for livestock feed
Reading Time: < 1 minute Many beef producers are looking for alternative feed sources to get their cattle through the winter. Some hope to work with neighbouring farmers to obtain that feed. The question is how to value it in a way that provides value to both the farmer and the cattle producer. Buyers and sellers need to consider accessibility, […] Read more
More local barley destined for rations, but U.S. corn still moving
Prior to drought year 2021/22, Canadian corn imports had rarely topped two million tonnes
Recently revised supply/demand tables from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada raised the forecast for domestic barley usage in the current crop year to 6.155 million tonnes. That compares with an earlier forecast of 5.471 million tonnes. If realized, that would be up by roughly 200,000 tonnes from the previous year.
U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures face renewed pressure
Lean hog futures ended the day mixed
Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures were mostly sharply lower on Thursday as traders sold off or shifted their positions ahead of a series of key government reports, analysts said.
Behind the times on bovine TB
Standard tests are inefficient and inaccurate, and that can be deadly for both cattle and humans, say researchers
Reading Time: 5 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Canada’s monitoring regimen for bovine tuberculosis is based on tests that are old, time consuming and not overly accurate, researchers say. But there aren’t any better options. “We don’t have a better test for humans either,” said one researcher, Shu-Hua Wang. Wang is a professor of medicine at Ohio State University and […] Read more