CME June 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs weaken amid demand concerns

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures fell on Thursday, as high meat prices are threatening U.S. demand, analysts said. Concerns that inflation could remain elevated for longer than anticipated weighed on the markets because higher prices could reduce meat sales, analysts said. Traders also watched a rise in prices for grain used […] Read more

File photo of grain bins in Saskatchewan. (Chinaface/iStock/Getty Images)

Over half Canada’s farm revenue now goes to biggest farms, census finds

More women operators, more sustainable practices, more growing under glass

While it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the number of larger farms by sales in Canada is rising and the number of smaller farms is declining, Canada’s newest ag census also shows larger farm classes now capturing the majority of total ag revenue. Statistics Canada on Wednesday began releasing data from its 2021 Census of Agriculture, […] Read more


Cow-calf producers should be aggressive and stock up on light weight calves.

U.S. feeder cattle supplies to tighten

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: Canadian calves will be in demand as U.S. feeder numbers could be down by nearly one million head by late 2022

Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $274-$276 during the third week of April. The Alberta fed market has been relatively flat over the past month. We mentioned in earlier issues that Alberta is contending with a severe backlog of market-ready supplies due to the year-over-year increase in […] Read more

Alberta’s Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides announces funding for the University of Calgary’s faculty of veterinary medicine on May 10, 2022 at the university’s Spyhill campus. (Government of Alberta video screengrab via YouTube)

More funds put up to boost Calgary vet school enrolment

Funding added for more staff, materials on top of infrastructure money

The University of Calgary’s faculty of veterinary medicine, fresh off a major capital funding boost in February’s provincial budget, now gets another $8.4 million over three years to help expand enrolment. “This targeted enrolment funding will go towards hiring on more faculty/staff to teach the increased number of students,” Sam Blackett, press secretary for Advanced […] Read more


CME July 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs drop to January lows on demand worries

Live cattle up, feeder cattle down

Chicago | Reuters — CME lean hog futures on Wednesday fell to their lowest prices since January amid concerns about demand for U.S. pork, analysts said. Inflation and a decline in U.S. pork exports to China, the world’s top pork consumer, are hurting demand, analysts said. The consumer price index rose 8.3 per cent in […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market starts seasonal rally

Ontario demand leads charge higher in Manitoba

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $4 to as much as $6 higher on average. Calf markets were sharply higher. Auction barns in Manitoba reported calf prices up $8-$10 on average with certain pockets up as much $15. Calf markets in Alberta and Saskatchewan were up a solid $5-$8 from week-ago levels. […] Read more


CME June 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20- and 50-day moving averages (pink and brown lines) and CME lean hog index (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs firm nearby

Outside markets pressure live cattle

Chicago | Reuters — CME’s nearby lean hog futures firmed on Tuesday, incentivizing producers to sell market-ready hogs rather than hold them for premiums later in the summer, analysts said. High futures prices “may have encouraged producers to take a little more risk,” said Altin Kalo, economist at Steiner Consulting Group. “When you’ve got such […] Read more

CME June 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle firm on strong packer demand

Export demand concerns drag on hogs

Chicago | Reuters — CME live cattle futures firmed on Monday, supported by strong packer demand that supported cash prices, indicating a bullish outlook for summer month futures, analysts said. “Packer behaviour has been bullish for several weeks now. They are going after the cattle,” said Dennis Smith, commodity broker at Archer Financial. “I suspect […] Read more


CME June 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, hogs slip on demand concerns

Inflation on U.S. retail meat a worry

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group live cattle and hog futures slumped on Friday, as investors worried about the prospect of food inflation weighing heavy on U.S. consumer meat demand as the summer grilling season gets underway, analysts said. Benchmark June lean hogs settled the day down 2.975 cents, to 104.1 cents/lb. (all figures US$). […] Read more

Look for opportunities to supply calves with certain carcass or production characteristics that fit a certain branded beef marketing program. Selecting a bull with desirable traits might help a producer to tap into higher value markets.

Select herd sires to meet end-use objectives

Are you breeding for meat production or replacement heifers? A program could be a combination of live service as well as AI

Sire selection depends on the producer’s goals, how the offspring will be marketed and/or if heifers will be retained as replacements. The genetics and phenotypical traits of the cow herd will be a factor in trying to select bulls that complement those cows and ultimately produce the best calves possible to meet those goals. Often […] Read more