CME October lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (pink line), CME lean hog index (black line), CME August 2021 lean hogs (brown O/H/L/C) and CME October 2021 live cattle (dark red line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs firm on strong pork demand

October live cattle follow beef prices lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures gained on Tuesday on short-covering and continued firmness in the wholesale pork market, traders said. “August seems like its anchored by what’s going on in the cutout,” said Altin Kalo, economist at Steiner Consulting Group. “They’ve been surprised by the strength in the pork cutout.” […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Canada to admit vaccinated U.S. tourists

Border to open Aug. 9 after more than 16 months

Ottawa | Reuters — Canada on Monday said it would allow fully vaccinated U.S. tourists into the country starting from Aug. 9 after the COVID-19 pandemic forced an unprecedented 16-month ban that many businesses complained was crippling them. Inoculated visitors from countries other than the United States will be permitted to enter beginning on Sept. […] Read more

CME August 2021 feeder cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle firm on tighter supplies

October hogs down on supply expectations

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle futures climbed on Monday, as supplies tightened in the northern U.S. Plains, traders said. “You’ve got a lot of empty yards,” said Scott Varilek, broker at Kooima Kooima Varilek Trading Inc. “We don’t have a lot of large supplies, large runs. You’re going to have to […] Read more


File photo of the produce section at a Canadian grocery store. (FatCamera/E+/Getty Images)

Industry-led code of conduct for food retailers on horizon

Fees create 'uncertainty' for producers, processors

A report from a federal-provincial working group says the retail sector has levied an increasing number of fees on suppliers, and is proposing the formation of a code of conduct as a potential solution. Canada’s agriculture ministers are now calling on industry to lead the process. They had formed the working group to study the […] Read more

CME October 2021 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Firm cash markets lift hog futures

Cattle futures extend slide

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed higher on Friday as firm U.S. cash markets and rising pork prices underscored tight hog supplies, analysts said. News of the first confirmed cases of African swine fever in farmed pigs in Germany added support, raising uncertainty about pork export flows. However, exports of […] Read more


File photo of the flags of Canada and its provinces and territories at Canada Place in Vancouver. (lilly3/iStock/Getty Images)

Request line open for AgriRecovery drought plans, Bibeau says

Formal ask needed to trigger process: ag minister

Canada’s federal agriculture minister says the government is “ready to receive formal submissions” from provinces for AgriRecovery plans to help Prairie farmers and ranchers up against significant droughts this summer. Marie-Claude Bibeau, summarizing discussions from Thursday’s online meeting with provincial and territorial (FPT) agriculture ministers, said the formal requests “are needed to trigger the process,” […] Read more

CME August 2021 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2) and October 2021 live cattle (dark red line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle drift lower

Lean hog futures end mixed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures drifted lower on Thursday in lacklustre trade, with disappointing weekly export sales data and softening wholesale beef cutout prices adding pressure, analysts said. “The fact that the cutout on beef has been drifting lower just doesn’t give the market a lot of confidence that packers […] Read more


Ralph Eichler, shown here at Ag Days in Brandon in 2019, is again Manitoba’s minister of agriculture. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Allan Dawson)

Eichler back as Manitoba ag minister in shuffle

Pedersen not seeking re-election

Manitoba’s provincial agriculture files return to the desk of their former handler in a cabinet mini-shuffle Thursday. Premier Brian Pallister has named Ralph Eichler, MLA for the Interlake-area riding of Lakeside since 2003, as minister of agriculture and resource development, replacing Blaine Pedersen. Pedersen announced Thursday he will not seek re-election but will serve out […] Read more

With beef demand increasing and the U.S. beef herd declining, Jerry Klassen figures it should bode well for Canadian beef producers over the coming year. Photo is of mob grazing cattle near Manning, AB.

Positive fundamentals driving cattle prices higher

Increased beef production in Canada will pay off in 2022

Alberta fed cattle prices were quoted at $164-$165 f.o.b. the feedlot during the third week of June, up from the range $158-$162 during the second week of May. The market has been quite firm due to tighter supplies of market-ready cattle on both sides of the border. At the same time, the reopening of economies […] Read more