CME December 2019 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs fall from gains as cash prices ease

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures tumbled on Tuesday, with the most-active contract dropping by the daily maximum, due to weak cash prices and technical selling, traders said. Pork cutout values eased for carcasses, loins, bellies and other products, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates. December lean hog futures dropped the daily […] Read more



This old textbook photo of a Venezuelan cow chewing a bone is an example of what cattle should not be doing to meet vitamin and mineral requirements.

Don’t force cattle to eat bones for phosphorus

It’s an important nutrient for overall animal health and reproduction

A long time ago in university, I came across a faded photograph in our animal science book (Animal Nutrition, Maynard et al, 1979) that showed a poor Venezuelan cow chewing on a bone. Its caption read that she suffered from phosphorus deficiency. I thought at the time that this poor animal was so skinny and […] Read more



U.S. livestock: Hogs limit up on expectations for Chinese buying

U.S. livestock: Hogs limit up on expectations for Chinese buying

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures climbed the daily exchange-imposed limit on Thursday on increasing expectations for Chinese buying as the world’s two largest economies prepared for talks aimed at breaking the logjam in their trade war. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) will temporarily expand the trading limit to 4.5 cents on Friday […] Read more



(PaulCowan/iStock/Getty Images)

Worst-case no-deal Brexit plan warns of food shortages

London | Reuters — The British government’s plans for a no-deal Brexit warn of severe disruption to cross-Channel routes, affecting the supply of medicines and certain types of fresh foods, and say that protests and counter-protests will take place across the country, accompanied by a possible rise in public disorder. The “Operation Yellowhammer” worst-case assumptions […] Read more

Manitoba’s agriculture minister Ralph Eichler, shown here at an Aug. 27 pre-election forum hosted by the Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association, easily held his riding of Lakeside in the Sept. 10 provincial election. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Geralyn Wichers)

Ag minister returned, ag critic downed in Manitoba vote

Manitoba’s Progressive Conservatives easily kept their agriculture minister while hanging onto a marginally slimmer majority government in Tuesday’s provincial election. Ralph Eichler, the Tories’ ag minister since 2016 and the MLA for the Interlake-area constituency of Lakeside since 2003, defeated New Democrat challenger Dan Rugg of Elie on Tuesday night by a spread of 4,340 […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market experiences mixed tone

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices traded $3-$5 on either side of unchanged. Auction market volumes are growing in Saskatchewan and Manitoba; however, central Alberta prices held a definite premium of $8-$10 over the eastern Prairie regions. Ontario orders are starting to surface in Manitoba but prices were out of reach with Alberta […] Read more