feed costs Archives | Alberta Farmer Express

U.S. livestock: Warming weather, easing feed costs spur rallies

By P.j. Huffstutter June 4, 2019

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) feeder cattle futures rebounded on Tuesday as traders hoped that feed costs will remain under pressure following news U.S. buyers are importing corn from South America. Both live cattle and lean hog futures also rose amid a rally in the U.S. stock market and forecasts of warming […] Read more

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: Feeder cattle futures dip to contract lows

By P.j. Huffstutter May 16, 2019

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. feeder cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) dipped to new contract lows on Thursday as a rally in Chicago Board of Trade corn futures this week continued to signal rising feed costs and U.S. beef demand remains sluggish. Cattle futures also faced headwinds from U.S. Department of Agriculture […] Read more

Hogs, Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. March hog herd hits record high

By Theopolis Waters March 30, 2018

Chicago | Reuters — The number of hogs on U.S. farms in the December-February quarter was up 3.1 per cent from the same period a year ago, a record high for the quarter, according to Thursday’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report. Farmers added extra pigs, encouraged by less-costly feed during that period and the […] Read more

Hogs, Livestock, Markets

Pork exports key in 2018 as U.S. slaughter ramps up

By Dave Sims January 30, 2018

CNS Canada –– Canadian pork producers should see higher returns for their product in the spring of 2018, but whether those prices last may determine how successful Canada is at tapping new markets. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture supply estimates, weekly U.S. hog slaughter numbers over the past two months have averaged 2.369 million […] Read more

Livestock, Weather

AgriRecovery in place for farms in B.C. wildfire zones

By Alberta Farmer Staff September 6, 2017

Farmers and ranchers whose operations were hit or evacuated during British Columbia’s particularly destructive wildfire season can expect up to $20 million in AgriRecovery funds toward repair, rebuilding and livestock feeding costs. The federal and B.C. governments on Tuesday laid out more details for the 60-40 cost-shared program, which was announced in principle in mid-August. […] Read more

Livestock, Reuters

JBS sees margins up in 2017 as feed, cattle costs fall

By Brad Haynes, Paula Laier March 14, 2017

Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazilian meatpacking giant JBS SA expects profit margins to improve over the course of this year, CEO Wesley Batista said on Tuesday, as lower cattle and feed costs and healthier markets ease the pressures that hurt 2016 results. JBS shares rose two per cent in Sao Paulo despite lower-than-expected earnings […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Livestock, Reuters

Ranchers under quarantine fear going ‘broke by spring’

By Rod Nickel November 22, 2016

Winnipeg | Reuters –– Ranchers in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan whose herds are under quarantine due to the spread of bovine tuberculosis told federal legislators Tuesday they desperately need to sell cattle or receive compensation to avoid financial disaster. Ranchers who raise calves typically sell them in autumn to feedlots, where they are fattened […] Read more

Hogs, Livestock, Markets

Pork prices gain on seasonal demand, tighter numbers

By Jade Markus April 25, 2016

CNS Canada — Western Canadian cash hog prices have been trending higher as supplies tighten and demand increases moving into the summer, two Prairie analysts say. “A lot of that has to do with lower slaughter numbers, higher pork cutout values,” said Brad Marceniuk, a livestock economist with the Saskatchewan government in Saskatoon. Hog numbers […] Read more

Dry conditions across much of Alberta have producers facing feed shortages.

Beef Cattle, Livestock

Short on feed? You need a multi-pronged plan, says expert

Get your winter feed in place now, fatten up light cows, save your pastures, and talk to your neighbours

By Jeff Melchior September 7, 2015

Faced with tight hay supplies and high feed prices, producers are naturally focused on how to feed their livestock over the winter — but they need a comprehensive plan, says a forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “If you don’t do a good job feeding these cows properly this winter it’s going to affect […] Read more

Markets

Optimistic outlook for hog producers in 2014

Feed prices and exchange rates are more  favourable, but disease is a concern

By Bernie Peet January 27, 2014

As we entered the new year, industry commentators in North America unanimously declared optimism for American and Canadian hog producers in 2014. For once, I agree with them. Regular readers will know that I have been less than enthusiastic about prospects for the Canadian industry in recent years. Last March, I described the outlook as […] Read more

Prairie cash wheat: Choppy U.S. futures lead to mixed bids

No BRM breakthrough reached at ministers’ meeting

U.S. grains: Soybeans firm as South American crops struggle

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