CME October 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 100- and 200-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise as cash values firm

Live cattle follow cash cattle, beef prices lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures rose on Wednesday, reaching a four-month high on firming cash hog prices, optimism about pork demand and technical buying, analysts said. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange October lean hog futures contract settled above its 200-day moving average, rising 1.475 cents to end at 61.375 cents/lb. after reaching 61.725 […] Read more

File photo of Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau speaking in Winnipeg in February 2020. (Dave Bedard photo)

Bibeau not considering closing AgriInvest accounts

Minister wouldn't order farmers to pull funds

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau is not considering ordering producers to withdraw from their AgriInvest accounts. “Not in this way. All the options are on the table for the future, but I’ve never considered asking them to withdraw, to empty their accounts, to face COVID-19,” she said in an interview Friday. Bibeau had previously expressed […] Read more


CME October 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rise on expectations of firm cash values

Hog market appears technically overbought

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange closed higher on Tuesday on expectations of firmer cash prices as supplies of market-ready cattle tighten, following a drop this past spring in the number of cattle placed in feedlots, traders said. “Packer margins are huge; they are still over $350 a head. […] Read more

Southwestern Ontario MP Lianne Rood will be the federal Conservatives’ new agriculture critic. (Video screengrab from LianneRood.ca)

Conservatives look to southern Ontario for new ag critic

O'Toole promotes deputy critic Lianne Rood to first chair

The federal Conservatives’ new leader has gone to the other side of Toronto to find his new critic for agriculture and agri-food. Lianne Rood, the rookie MP for the riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, was named Tuesday by fellow southern Ontario MP Erin O’Toole to replace southwestern Alberta MP John Barlow as the Conservatives’ shadow minister for […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Yearling markets mixed

Compared to last week, yearling prices for western Canadian were down $2-$5 on average with the exception of southern Alberta where prices were relatively unchanged. Major feedlots in the Lethbridge area focused on local cattle which contributed to the firmer tone. Outside of Feedlot Alley, weakness in the deferred live cattle futures had buyers on […] Read more

UQAR rector Jean-Pierre Ouellet, regional development minister Marie-Eve Proulx, UdeM rector Daniel Jutras, Dr. Christine Theoret, UdeM dean of veterinary medicine and provincial ag minister André Lamontagne (l-r) announced the funding Sept. 3, 2020 for the feasibility study. (UQAR photo by Stephane Lizotte)

Montreal’s veterinary college to study eastward expansion

Province backs feasibility study for Rimouski-based program

With a eye on expanding livestock veterinary services in the Lower St-Lawrence and Gaspesie, the Quebec government is backing a feasibility study to bring veterinary studies to the region. The province on Thursday announced assistance of $627,946 for 2019-20 for a feasibility study making a business case to offer the Universite de Montreal’s veterinary medicine […] Read more


CME October 2020 lean hogs with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures hit four-month high on export hopes

Post-Labour Day beef demand in doubt

Chicago | Reuters — Strong export demand for U.S. pork pushed Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures to a four-month high on Friday. Traders are optimistic China, the world’s biggest pork consumer, will remain a strong buyer, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported strong weekly export sales on Thursday. Chinese importers have been bringing […] Read more

CME October 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs hit four-month high on strong export sales

CME cattle lower on demand uncertainty

Chicago | Reuters — U.S lean hog futures jumped to a four-month high on Thursday on strong export demand and short covering, while cattle futures weakened. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported net U.S. pork export sales of 53,646 tonnes for the week ended Aug. 27, up 36 per cent from the previous week. China, […] Read more


(SCIC.ca)

Saskatchewan extends WLPIP premium rebate if needed

Rebate to offset premium prices, if above pre-COVID levels

Saskatchewan’s temporary subsidy against price jumps in premiums for the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP) will continue when needed to the end of 2020. Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. (SCIC), which administers the program in that province, announced Tuesday the WLPIP premium rebate is extended to Dec. 31, from its previous end date of Sept. […] Read more

Screenshot of the Gulf Livestock 1 from the website of Dubai-based shipping company Gulf Navigation. (GulfNav.com)

More than 40 crew missing after cattle ship capsizes in storm off Japan

Rescued crew member says engine failed, wave capsized ship

CORRECTED/UPDATED, Sept. 3 — Tokyo/Wellington | Reuters — More than 40 crew members were missing after a ship carrying cattle from New Zealand to China capsized in stormy weather in the East China Sea, the Japanese coast guard said Thursday. A lone crew member from the Gulf Livestock 1 had been rescued so far. Three […] Read more