Tokyo/Chicago | Reuters — U.S. beef exporters, unhappy after President Donald Trump pulled out of a multilateral trade pact in 2017, stand to sell more meat in Japan after the U.S. leader and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe cut a deal to slice into tariffs. But agriculture experts say that for now, that boost may […] Read more

Japan deal levels field for U.S. beef, but sales surge unlikely

CCA sees potential for more beef sales to Europe
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada could be selling more beef to Europe if it increased the number of veterinarians trained to approve cattle for shipment there or secured approval for using Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) to meet European requirements, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association says. Since the free trade agreement with Europe came into effect nearly two years ago, […] Read more

Brazil lifts suspension of beef exports to China
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazil’s government said Thursday it has lifted a suspension of beef exports to China after dealing with an atypical case of BSE, sending shares of Marfrig Global Foods, Minerva and other Brazilian meatpackers soaring. The suspension had been in effect since June 3 after a case was reported in a […] Read more

Brazil halts beef exports to China after atypical BSE case
Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazil has temporarily halted beef exports to China following an atypical case of BSE in leading farm state Mato Grosso, the agriculture ministry said on Monday. China, Brazil’s largest beef importer by sales, spent US$1.5 billion on Brazilian beef last year, totaling 322,400 tonnes or almost 20 per cent of […] Read more

Japan beef buyers ease back a bit on purchases
Reading Time: < 1 minute After surging in January, beef sales to Japan slipped a little in February as buyers adjust to the new Trans-Pacific trade deal, says the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. An initial tariff cut (to about 27 per cent from 38.5 per cent) in the new year saw beef sales more than triple in January to 3,545 tonnes […] Read more

Beef exports to the European Union doubled last year
That growth is expected to continue as supply of EU eligible cattle grows
Reading Time: < 1 minute Year-end numbers for beef exports to the European Union show growth that is encouraging to Canadian and European farmers and ranchers alike. Canada exported 1,059 tonnes of beef to the EU last year, worth $15.5 million, according to Statistics Canada. That’s a 113 per cent increase in volume and 98 per cent increase in value […] Read more

European beef exports growing, but still small
Reading Time: < 1 minute The number of Canadian producers raising EU-eligible beef has tripled in the past year — but the number remains small, says the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. In a recent newsletter, the CCA says its “best estimate” is that more than 100 producers have enrolled in a certification program that ensures they’re not using growth-enhancing products. But […] Read more

Despite some stresses, ‘cautious’ optimism for cow-calf sector
Strong demand and prices are good news, but feed costs and tariffs are troubling
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta cattle producers have a few reasons to be optimistic as they head into the fall. “We’re still on the profitable side for the cow-calf guy,” said Charlie Christie, chair of Alberta Beef Producers. “I’m hearing some optimism on the market side. Whether that will translate into good calf prices in the fall remains to […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs turn up on short-covering
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures ticked higher on Thursday, boosted by short-covering and technical buying after prices probed new lows earlier this week, traders said. Futures for cattle and lean hogs notched narrow gains despite fears of weaker prices in cash markets and a lower trend in wholesale meat values — […] Read more

OIE declares Brazil free of foot-and-mouth, with vaccination
Paris | Reuters — The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) declared Brazil free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) with vaccination on Thursday, opening new export prospects for the world’s largest beef exporter. The OIE already considered most of Brazil to be free of FMD with vaccination. The declaration, which the government had been expecting since […] Read more