CME February 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle sink on profit-taking, technical selling

Lean hogs, feeder cattle mixed

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures fell on Monday in a profit-taking and technical-selling setback amid concerns about weaker demand for cattle and beef, traders said. Position rolling by funds, as they closed out long positions in the spot month and bought deferred contracts on the second day of the five-session “Goldman roll” period, […] Read more

Drones can be used for all kinds of on-farm trials. Pictured above is a drone image to evaluate standability in a wheat variety trial.

Twelve uses for your drone

From flood documentation to weed control, farmers are putting their drones to good use

When remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), or drones, first started appearing on the market, it was thought their uses in agriculture would be mainly limited to third-party companies farmers would hire to fly over their fields and to analyze and provide information collected by those drones. However, today it is mainly farmers purchasing and using […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Cattle set-aside programs winding down

Final enrolment deadlines set for Saskatchewan, Alberta programs

AgriRecovery programs set up in Saskatchewan and Alberta to help cover feed costs for cattle producers unable to ship livestock to slaughter are gearing down, while Ontario’s program begins a third intake. Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. announced Friday that the province’s AgriRecovery set-aside program will end March 31, 2021, with Jan. 19 now set as […] Read more

CME February 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures drift lower on technical selling

Back months in hogs, cattle draw speculators' interest

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures closed lower on Friday on light technical selling, with the spot February contract pressured as speculators rolled long positions into forward months, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) February live cattle futures settled down 0.5 cent at 114.475 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Friday was the first day of […] Read more


File photo of a cornfield in Argentina. (Reisegraf/iStock/Getty Images)

Argentina ‘evaluating’ corn export suspension

Move meant to boost domestic food supplies

Buenos Aires | Reuters — Argentina’s government said on Thursday it would review its decision to temporarily suspend corn exports after a meeting between the farming minister and the leaders of the country’s main agricultural associations. The agriculture ministry said in a statement that agreements had been struck to guarantee the domestic supply of corn […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Barley, wheat prices very likely to increase

Increases seen tied to rising U.S. corn

MarketsFarm — Two Alberta traders believe strong feed grain prices will continue to push higher over the next week of January, with much of the upswing tied to the rise in corn prices in the U.S. “As corn edges higher, becoming the preferred direct replacement to barley, your barley floor comes up and wheat starts […] Read more


CME March 2021 feeder cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle end mixed, feeders firm

Cattle take cues from pause in corn rally

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures closed narrowly mixed on Thursday with the spot February contract drifting lower in rangebound trade, awaiting direction from cash markets, while back months firmed on optimism about the U.S. economy, traders said. Feeder cattle futures rose as prices for corn, the main feed grain for cattle, retreated from […] Read more

Cattle outlook brightens for 2021

Cattle outlook brightens for 2021

Feeder market influenced by lower overall supplies

During mid-December, Lethbridge-area feedlots were selling fed cattle in the range of $138 to $140, up $2 to $4 from 30 days earlier. While Canadian feedlot operators are contending with a backlog of market-ready supplies, cattle on feed 150 days and longer are actually below year-ago levels south of the border. The USDA lowered its […] Read more


(Dave Bedard file photo)

Manitoba to consolidate and shut agriculture, MASC offices

Province announces 'new rural service delivery model'

Updated, Jan. 7 — Manitoba’s agriculture and resource development department and crop insurance and ag lending agency will close their offices in 21 communities and consolidate others this spring, in a bid to reduce their “physical footprint.” Agriculture Minister Blaine Pedersen on Wednesday announced what the province billed as “a new rural service delivery model […] Read more

CME February 2021 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs trim as packers work through holiday backlogs

CME cattle futures pressured lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures fell on Wednesday as packers work through backlogs caused by holiday shutdowns, analysts said. Daily hog slaughter regained from holiday pace, with 495,000 head processed compared to 472,000 head the week prior, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, but was still short of prior year pace. […] Read more