CME October 2021 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle follow packer demand down

Lean hog futures also lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell on Tuesday, pressured by weak cash cattle trade as packer demand remains light, analysts said. “The lack of bids is daunting,” said Joe Kooima, commodity broker at Kooima Kooima Varilek Trading Inc. Kooima noted packers have enough cattle purchased on negotiated contracts to meet […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Finishing feedlot demand drives yearlings higher

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings traded $2 lower to as much as $5 higher. Strength was once again noted in southern Alberta where heavier yearlings recorded a fresh 52-week high. Calves were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels. Larger groups of quality weaned genetics traded as much $5 above average values. Feather-lite bawlers under […] Read more


Parking lot signage outside an advance polling station in Winnipeg’s Tuxedo Industrial area on Sept. 12, 2021. (Dave Bedard photo)

Federal agriculture minister leading on election night

CPC, NDP ag critics prevail; BQ critic in tight race

Canada’s incumbent agriculture minister was among the MPs expected to hold onto their seats in Monday’s snap federal election, in which Justin Trudeau’s Liberals return with a second minority government. As of Tuesday morning just after midnight CT, Marie-Claude Bibeau was leading in her Sherbrooke, Que.-area riding of Compton-Stanstead by a spread of over 3,300 […] Read more

CME October 2021 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end mixed, hogs lower

Futures under pressure as equity markets slump

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended mixed on Monday as late-session bargain buying only partly offset pressure from adequate cattle supplies and global economic concerns that threatened to blunt demand for beef. “The cattle market can’t seem to catch a break. Boxed beef has been trending down and there are […] Read more


(GFM file photo)

CFA’s Hay West program up and running

Program website now online

A revival of the “Hay West” initiative, aimed at shipping feed from Eastern Canada to supplement drought-dented supplies in the West, has gone live. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture on Friday announced its Hay West 2021 initiative is “now operational and seeking applicants to both receive and supply hay.” Applicants interested in either supplying or […] Read more

An information label is seen on packaging for a CO2 cylinder for a fizzy drinks machine in Manchester, Britain on Sept. 20, 2021. (Photo: Reuters)/Phil Noble)

U.K. meat industry warns of threat to supplies from CO2 crisis

CO2 shortage is caused by closure of fertilizer plants

London | Reuters — Some of Britain’s meat processors will run out of carbon dioxide (CO2) within five days, forcing them to halt production and impacting supplies to food retailers, the head of the industry’s lobby group warned on Monday. A jump in gas prices has forced several domestic energy suppliers out of business and […] Read more


Most consumers want to know where their food is coming from, how it’s produced and to feel confident it’s safe and supports their values.

Sustainability closely linked to beef marketing

Consumers do want to know how beef is produced and who's producing it

It could be said that marketing and sustainability of the Canadian beef industry are joined at the hip. Without one, the other suffers. Dorothy Erickson, manager of veterinary services for Zoetis in Saskatoon, believes beef’s constructive marketing requires an understanding of its relationship to sustainability. “When we look at the big picture, I think it’s […] Read more



CME December 2021 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2) and CME cash lean hog index (grey line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs extend gains in recovery from slide

Cattle futures follow boxed beef lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures on Friday extended a rebound from a selloff that dragged the market to its lowest prices since February this week, while cattle futures sagged. The hog market was due for a correction to the upside after the most-active December contract fell 13.5 per cent from […] Read more

A single lightening strike that travelled along the fence line is believed responsible for the death of these cattle.

Livestock electrocution can be natural or man-made

Animal Health: Make sure tools and electrical services are properly installed and maintained

We’ve all seen pictures and heard of the cattle deaths following severe lightning storms. Cattle are susceptible because they are so well-grounded. They often gather along fence lines or under tall trees, seeking shelter when lightning strikes. There really is no prevention for this other than to make sure all fences, especially electric fences, are […] Read more