While lush, green pastures might only be wishful thinking some years, it is important for producers to actually write out a drought management plan. It may not be followed exactly, but it helps to bring into focus some of the issues a producer may have to deal with during a dry year.

Make a drought plan in writing

Putting it on paper helps clarify the options and takes some of the emotion out of tough decisions

I firmly believe in having a written drought plan. Droughts are nearly always extremely dynamic and can change rapidly, so while the plan will not be followed exactly, it does provide a focus to ensure accountable and proactive management. It also helps us focus on the things we can control rather than the things we […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feedlot demand up prior to seasonal rally

Market for calves 'boiling hot' in Manitoba

For the week ending April 30, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were quite variable. Yearlings traded $8 lower as much as $5 higher. Severe discounts were noted on fleshier cattle; some auction barns reported the bulk of cattle over 800 pounds were medium to heavier flesh. Deferred live cattle futures were under pressure but the […] Read more


CME August 2022 feeder cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and dark red lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Feeder cattle futures firm on weaker corn

China's COVID lockdowns pressure CME hogs

Chicago | Reuters — CME live and feeder cattle futures firmed on Monday, supported by lower corn futures, an input cost to feeder cattle, analysts said. “The big driver there was just lower corn,” said Josh Steinhilber, broker at Cattlehedgers.com. “We got spillover into the live cattle.” CME August feeder cattle added 5.8 cents, to […] Read more

Spring runoff on April 27, 2022 at the Pembina Escarpment near Miami, Man., about 40 km northwest of Winkler. (Manitoba Co-operator/Allan Dawson video screengrab)

Flood warnings raised in Manitoba, southeastern Saskatchewan

Flows could reach 2009 levels in Manitoba

MarketsFarm — Spring flooding in Manitoba’s Red River Valley could approach levels last seen in 2009, the highest water level since 1997’s “Flood of the Century,” according to the latest update from the provincial Hydrologic Forecast Centre. The centre is monitoring a precipitation system forecast for the April 29-May 1 weekend that is expected to […] Read more


CME June 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2) and 100-day moving average (brown line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs fall to lowest since early February

CME cattle also weak

Chicago | Reuters — CME hog futures dropped to their lowest in nearly three months on Friday, pressured by concerns about consumer demand as summer grilling season nears, traders said. Cattle futures also fell. Some end-of-month fund liquidation likely added to the weakness in livestock contracts, traders said. “There is not a whole lot of […] Read more

What to make of the Cattle on Feed report

What to make of the Cattle on Feed report

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: An Economics 101 look at what the numbers are really telling us

The most recent USDA Cattle on Feed report released in January showed the total number at the beginning of the year at 12.037 million head, up one per cent from Jan. 1, 2021. Initial media and analytical reports were calling the report bearish. This is the second-highest Jan. 1 inventory since the series began in […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

AgriStability enrolment deadline extended for 2022

Two-month extension in place for fourth year in a row

The deadline for Canadian farmers to enroll in AgriStability has been extended for two months — making 2022 the fourth year in a row with a enrolment deadline bump for the farm income stabilization program. The enrolment deadline without penalty for the 2022 program year was previously scheduled for this Saturday, April 30, but is […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures up off three days of losses

Chicago live cattle down, feeder cattle firm

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group hog futures rose on Thursday, snapping a three-session losing streak that pushed prices to their lowest since March 7 on some mild bargain buying, traders said. But the gains were kept in check by concerns that the growth of the Chinese herd could slow buying demand from the world’s […] Read more


This blurry photo taken about 60 years ago is writer Lee Hart riding a dairy cow named Blackie around the barnyard at a time when today’s common technology such as a smartphone with a built-in camera would have been little more than science fiction.

Olds College takes a hands-on look at new technology

Park the tractor. Learning how to seed the field and spray crops with an unmanned drill and field sprayer is just another day in the life of students in 2022

When I get digging through old photos … look out! I often find something from my days on the farm in the mid-20th century that in today’s era of technology probably has closer ties to the 1700s. This fuzzy photo of a kid riding a milk cow is the first livestock tracking system my dad […] Read more

CME June 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 30-, 40- and 200-day moving averages (pink, brown, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hog futures weak as feeding costs rise

Corn's 'unending rally' drags on feeder cattle

Chicago | Reuters — CME cattle futures fell on Wednesday as traders assessed higher feeding costs due to a sharp gains in corn. Hog futures were also weak, falling for the sixth time in seven sessions, with prospects for more COVID-19 lockdowns in China further chilling the already weak export demand from the world’s top […] Read more