Livestock
As if U.S. livestock producers don’t already have enough problems, they are being warned that’s what left of drought-diminished feed supplies may be toxic to cattle. News releases from both Purdue University and the University of Missouri say that drought-stressed corn fodder may have elevated levels of nitrate, because the plant has not been able […] Read more
Nitrate risk from drought-stressed corn
U.S. cattle markets gain as corn futures fall
U.S. live cattle futures closed at their highest level in nearly five months on Tuesday as corn prices continued to retreat, with analysts saying the market might be signaling that the record rally in corn is over for now. Feeder cattle futures at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) were also higher, rising even more than […] Read more
U.S. live cattle rally on beef demand; feeders soar
U.S. live cattle futures rallied on Monday, lifted by strong wholesale beef demand and last week’s price hike for cash cattle, analysts and traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) hogs closed higher and feeder cattle posted sharp gains. CME live cattle turned upward as wholesale beef prices continued to rise with supermarkets buying product for […] Read more
Ham boning resumes at Maple Leaf plant after fire
Some parts of a Maple Leaf Foods ham and bacon plant in Winnipeg are already back in business after a fire Friday morning. City fire crews were called to the plant, on Lagimodiere Boulevard in the St. Boniface district, after a fire was spotted in a packaging area at about 10:45 Friday morning. The fire […] Read more
Maple Leaf ham and bacon plant hit by fire, again
Operations were halted Friday by the second fire in less than a year at a Maple Leaf Foods plant being retooled as the company’s "centre of excellence" for ham. A company spokesperson said the fire, which started in the packaging area of the Winnipeg facility, was noticed and reported by an employee at about 10:45 […] Read more
U.S. sow slaughter hits eight-month high amid drought
The number of sows slaughtered last week rose to the highest level in eight months, U.S. government data showed on Thursday, underscoring farmers’ rush to liquidate their herds due to rising feed costs caused by the worst drought in 56 years. The rush to slaughter could bode well for consumers in the short-run as a […] Read more
Winnipeg’s ICE folds old western barley contract
Just over a week into the deregulated Prairie wheat and barley marketing regime, a relic of the single-desk barley market has been shut down. Winnipeg commodity exchange ICE Futures Canada said Thursday it has delisted its Western Barley (AB) futures and options contracts as of 2 p.m. CT. The Winnipeg exchange’s board of directors passed […] Read more
Blister beetles toxic to horses
North Dakota State University’s extension service is warning that blister beetles, which are known to help limit grasshopper infestations but are also toxic to horses, could be a problem in that state this year. Dr. Carrie Hammer, an assistant professor and director of NDSU’s equine sciences program in Fargo, says there have been several reports […] Read more
U.S. farmers’ suit over milk prices revived
U.S. dairy farmers can proceed with a class action accusing dairy product manufacturers of manipulating the price of raw milk, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco revived a lawsuit brought by dairy farmers accusing milk powder supplier DairyAmerica, Inc. of understating its […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market finds support
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were $2 per hundredweight lower to $3/cwt higher last week as thin volumes continue to characterize the market. Fed cattle prices were $2/cwt higher, which appeared to set a positive tone in the feeder complex. Barley prices have also come off the highs, which provided some breathing room to bid […] Read more
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