Reading Time: < 1 minute Farm Credit Canada is forecasting much higher cattle prices this year. The lender predicts hundred-weight prices for 550-pound steers will average $270 (versus $225 last year) and $225 for 850-lb. steers (versus $185 in 2022). “The robust prices will be a big reason margins in the cow-calf sector are forecast to be strong in 2023 […] Read more
Farm Credit Canada forecasts cattle prices to strengthen
U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle climb to another contract high
April live cattle lower, lean hogs up
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle futures reached a contract high for a second consecutive session on Tuesday, while live cattle futures retreated from a contract high set a day earlier, brokers said. Reduced U.S. herd sizes due to drought have propelled futures higher recently, though some brokers said supply concerns have […] Read more
Imagine moving your cattle with just a swipe on a smartphone
Nofence is already in use in Europe and now researchers are putting it to the test here
Reading Time: 4 minutes The idea is appealing: Imagine moving your cattle from the comfort of your armchair or while you’re away from the ranch. And it could become reality, says a University of Alberta professor who is testing Nofence collars, a product that its Norwegian maker bills as “the world’s first virtual fence for livestock.” “We see a […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle set contract high on tightening supplies
Chicago live cattle also up, lean hogs down
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle futures jumped to a new contract high on Monday on firm cash prices and increasing concerns about reduced U.S. herd numbers, analysts said. Traders focused on tighter cattle supplies as demand from meatpackers for livestock to slaughter remained strong. Ranchers have reduced herd sizes due to […] Read more
Feed cows at night, birth calves by day? It might work, but is it worth it?
Feeding pregnant cows in the evening may increase the odds of daytime calving, but there’s a but
Reading Time: 3 minutes Feeding pregnant cows at night may increase the chances that they will conveniently calve in daytime. “I think there could be some merit,” said Dr. Cody Creelman. “I’ve had several clients over the years try it. Several have thought it’s perhaps a good feeding method and they think that it does have the desired effect.” […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs rally on strong outside markets
Weather forecast also supportive
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog and cattle futures rose sharply on Friday, as gains in outside markets bolstered optimism about the economy and consumer demand for beef and pork, traders said. Concerns that a late winter storm forecast for the U.S. Midwest this weekend could disrupt supply chains added support to livestock […] Read more
Program sets a floor price for certified sustainable beef farms
BeefUp Sustainability aims to ensure certified farms get their funding, no matter where they are in the beef chain
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A new pilot program will ensure producers will receive at least $400 annually if they are certified under the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef program. Previously, if cattle moved through a non-certified player in the value chain, (for example, the cow-calf and feedlot operators were certified but not the backgrounder) they couldn’t […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs ease on weak exports
Boxed beef prices seen firm
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle and hog futures fell on Thursday, with signs of weakening export demand for beef and pork pressuring prices. Traders also said the cattle market was still ripe for profit taking even after falling on Wednesday. The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Thursday morning export sales of beef […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures drop but declines limited
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures weakened on Wednesday, with profit taking noted as prices remained near multi-year highs hit during February. Strength in the cash market limited the declines. Hog futures also were weaker but the market remained underpinned by hopes that recent weakness in soybeans and corn will cut […] Read more
Crop, livestock prices offset reduced marketings in 2022
StatCan data on farm cash receipts tracks recovery off 2021 drought
New full-year data on Canada’s farm cash receipts in calendar 2022 show how increased commodity prices last year more than offset the drop in quantities sold. Statistics Canada on Tuesday released figures showing Canadian farm cash receipts in 2022 at $94.9 billion, up 14.1 per cent from 2021, including crop receipts of $53.9 billion (also […] Read more
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