What manure does over and above its nutrient content is to provide organic carbon matter, which does wonders for soils.

Manuring cropland can be misunderstood and overdone

Sources of manure and compost

There are some 60,000 cow-calf farms and 20,000 dairy operations in Canada. Cattle numbers are around 12.5 million with more than 40 per cent of this total in Alberta. Alberta also had 90 per cent of the beef feedlots with lesser numbers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. There are 14 million hogs at any time in […] Read more

CME December 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle rise on hopes for cash prices

Hogs also higher; livestock futures down on month

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures crept higher on Tuesday as the cattle markets continued to rebound from multi-month lows reached last week. Expectations for higher cash prices this week and beyond helped to underpin futures, analysts said. Cash prices improved on Friday, compared to the middle of last week. CME October […] Read more


Long-range outlook points to warmer winter

Long-range outlook points to warmer winter

Odds less likely for Prairies next three months

MarketsFarm — Warmer than normal temperatures are expected across nearly all of Canada this winter, with average precipitation for most of the agricultural areas of the Prairies. The latest long-range seasonal forecast from Environment Canada, released Tuesday, calls for a 40 per cent chance of above-normal temperatures from November through January across most of Alberta, […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Canadian feeder market holds value despite weaker futures

Weaker loonie offers support

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices traded $3-$5 lower while calf values were relatively unchanged. The market was slightly softer early in the week. On Wednesday, Alberta packers renewed fed cattle bids similar to week-ago levels and the aggressive buying lifted calf prices back up to levels similar to seven days earlier. Adverse […] Read more


CME December 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle recover off recent slide, eye cash prices

Lean hogs also align with cash prices

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures topped a one-week high on Monday as the market recovered from steep losses last week. Firm prices in the cash market on Friday supported the rebound in futures, brokers said. CME December live cattle futures ended up 1.025 cents at 183.25 cents/lb. (all figures US$). […] Read more

(Mysticenergy/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast Update: Warmer air not in the cards

Issued Oct. 29, covering Oct. 29 to Nov. 1

The forecast for this period has been playing out pretty close to what the weather models were predicting, but with a few small differences. For Alberta, the forecasted upper ridge does not look like it will get nearly as strong as originally forecasted as a strong northwesterly flow helps to flatten the ridge. This means […] Read more


CME January 2024 feeder cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle recover off May-level low

Live cattle, lean hogs also higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle futures fell to their lowest level since May on Friday before ending higher, while live cattle recovered from June lows reached earlier this week. Strength in the cash market helped boost futures, traders said. Reports of meatpackers paying $185/cwt in Texas and $186/cwt in Nebraska represented […] Read more

CME December 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle ease on larger U.S. supply, weaker equities

Lean hog futures continue higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures eased on Thursday, with losses in equities and bigger-than-expected U.S. livestock supplies dragging down the markets. Traders kept an eye on Wall Street as weakness in stocks and concerns about the economy can limit consumer demand for pricey beef, analysts said. Stocks closed lower amid signs […] Read more



CME December 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs rebound after recent losses

'Monday's washout was probably a bit overdone'

Chicago | Reuters — Cattle futures jumped at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Wednesday, bouncing off June lows hit this week on larger-than-expected U.S. supply numbers. Futures prices collapsed on Monday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a report issued after markets closed on Friday, said that producers placed more cattle than expected into […] Read more