Winnipeg | Reuters — Parched pastures and crops in Western Canada are driving up cattle-feeding costs, and farmers and analysts expect the changing economics to stem a recent stampede of U.S. cattle being brought over the border. Canada imported 65,035 head of cattle from the U.S. from January through June, nearly double the pace of […] Read more

Prairies’ dry weather may stem U.S. cattle stampede north

U.S. livestock: Cattle drop on weak cash markets, rising supply
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures fell on Monday, weighed down by weakness in the cash market, traders said. Weekly slaughter estimates showed supplies up from a year ago and last week, adding pressure to the market. Hog futures were firm, supported by rising values for the pork cutout. Chicago Mercantile Exchange August live […] Read more

Hog prices steadying as barbecue season nears
CNS Canada — With barbecue season on the horizon, prices for Canadian pork rose during the week ended April 27, breaking out of their month-long fall. The timing could be perfect, as negotiators have already begun working on improving trade relations and cancelling proposed tariffs on Chinese imports of U.S. pork and other goods. “Prices […] Read more

McDonald’s sets new welfare standards for chicken suppliers
Chicago | Reuters — McDonald’s Corp. will require suppliers to improve the living conditions and slaughter process for chickens raised to be served in its restaurants, the company said on Friday, the latest changes affecting popular menu items such as McNuggets. Under new guidelines for animal welfare, suppliers such as Tyson Foods and Cargill must […] Read more

Indian court suspends ban on beef cattle trade
New Delhi | Reuters — An Indian court suspended on Tuesday a government ban on the trade of cattle for slaughter, a lawyer involved in the case said, giving some relief to Muslim-dominated beef and leather industries that employ millions of poor workers. The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court suspended for four weeks […] Read more

Cattle herd still shrinking in StatsCan estimates
The size of Canada’s cattle herd is still in decline and almost a quarter smaller than its peak in 2005, Statistics Canada reports. The federal statistics agency on Thursday released estimates showing the herd at 13 million cattle on farms on July 1 this year, down 2.1 per cent from the same date in 2014. […] Read more