Reading Time: 3 minutes What is the real value of soil carbon? And how much carbon do cattle producers store in the soil? These are two questions that will be answered in a carbon soil mapping project conducted by researchers from the universities of Alberta and Saskatchewan. “The reason for the project is that carbon in the atmosphere is […] Read more
Massive soil carbon mapping could change views about cattle
Five-year, $3.2-million study will determine how much carbon is stored in pastures thanks to grazing
Klassen: Light test of feeder cattle reflects hot demand
Compared to last week, Western Canadian yearling prices were relatively unchanged; prices for mid-weight calves were $2 to $5 higher. Calves under 550 pounds were up $6 to $8 on average while feather light bawlers were up a sold $10 above week-ago levels. Weaker feed grain prices along with strength in the deferred live cattle […] Read more
Optimism has returned with the rains for the cattle sector
Producers still dealing with drought fallout, but looking ahead to better days
Reading Time: 4 minutes Cattle producers are feeling cautiously hopeful, thanks to June and July rains. “It’s a sigh of huge relief, as least what I experienced in this area — it’s just a burden of worry lifted,” said Fred Lozeman, who farms with his cousin, runs two herds and operates a 2,000-head feedlot west of Claresholm. “There were […] Read more
Beef pricing to be reviewed
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Beef Producers, the Alberta Cattle Feeders’ Association, and the Canadian Cattle Association are undertaking “an Alberta beef competitiveness study.” The groups say the study “will seek to understand the apparent lack of packing capacity.” It will focus on three areas: barriers to entry and expansion for the packing sector; confidentiality concerns in regard to […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures end higher on firm beef prices
Futures up before new USDA figures released
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Friday, supported by strong beef prices and positioning ahead of U.S. government reports released after the close of the market, traders said. CME August live cattle futures settled up 1.65 cents at 137.375 cents/lb. and most-active October ended up 2.025 cents at […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures end mixed
Cash markets lift August hogs; live cattle lower, feeder cattle up
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed mixed on Thursday, with the front August contract gaining against back months as a heat wave in the Midwest and Plains helped support nearby cash hog prices, traders said. CME August lean hog futures settled up 1.425 cents at 116.3 cents/lb. while most-active October […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures climb, following cash markets
CME live cattle inch up in lacklustre trade
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed higher on Wednesday, supported by firm cash markets tied to tight supplies of hogs, traders said. Hot weather in the U.S. midsection added support, posing potential disruptions to the transport of animals. CME August lean hog futures settled 2.05 cents higher at 114.875 cents/lb. […] Read more
What works — or at least helps — in reducing livestock predation?
That’s what a comprehensive pilot project led by Manitoba’s main cattle group hopes to establish
Reading Time: 3 minutes There are a lot of ways to reduce losses to predators, but what works best and which ones are a good investment? That’s what a multi-year pilot project in Manitoba is trying to determine. Among the items being studied are: special penning, with seven strings of electric wire and predator-resistant gates. game cameras that give […] Read more
Sizzling heat stresses livestock, crops in southern U.S. Plains
Chicago | Reuters — Scorching temperatures in the southern U.S. Plains are stressing cattle as well as crops such as cotton, corn and soybeans, meteorologists and traders said on Tuesday. Temperatures were forecast to reach 111 F (44 C) in parts of the Texas Panhandle, a core area for cotton and cattle production. While much […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Rising wholesale meat prices lift futures
CME live cattle buck seasonal trends
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended higher on Tuesday as wholesale beef prices rose, bucking seasonal trends and spurring hopes for higher cash cattle prices this week, traders said. CME August live cattle futures settled up 0.1 cent at 135.725 cents/lb. and most-active October ended up 0.5 cent at 141.1 […] Read more