(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Hog prices rally on bargain buying before USDA report

Chicago/Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs finished higher on Thursday, with strength from bargain buying prior to what turned out to be a neutral U.S. government hog report after futures closed, said traders. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s quarterly hog report showed a record-large March 1 herd, with most of the data close to […] Read more

The Souris River at Minot, N.D. in June 2012. (Cynthia Hunter photo, Fema.gov)

Manitoba’s southwest expecting ‘well above normal’ runoff

Manitoba is expecting normal to above-normal spring runoff except in the Souris River basin, which is looking at “above normal to well-above normal runoff potential.” Levels of spring flooding still depend on future weather conditions, Infrastructure Minister Blaine Pedersen said Friday in the province’s March flood outlook, but the risk of overland flooding is “slightly […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Cash discounts lift live cattle

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed firmer on Wednesday, with support from short-covering tied to futures’ discounts to preliminary cash prices, said traders. April live cattle closed 0.575 cent/lb. higher at 121.35 cents, and June up 0.25 cent to 111.85 cents (all figures US$). Market-ready, or cash, cattle at Wednesday […] Read more




(JBSsa.com)

JBS weighs suspending U.S. IPO

Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazil’s JBS SA, the world’s biggest meatpacking company, will decide in coming days whether to suspend listing its overseas operations after a corruption scandal, newspaper Folha de S. Paulo said Monday. A person involved in the deal told Reuters last week JBS had no intention of delaying the US$1 billion […] Read more


(JBSS.infoinvest.com.br)

‘Operation Weak Flesh’ takes bite out of Brazil’s meat exports

Sao Paulo | Reuters –– Brazil’s meat exports have fallen sharply since a police investigation into alleged bribery of food-sanitation inspectors in the world’s top beef and poultry exporter sparked a wave of trade bans, an industry group said on Friday. Import restrictions by several key importers of Brazilian meat, ranging from China to Europe, […] Read more



(Gloria Solano-Aguilar photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs snap back from session lows

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures finished higher on Thursday, after short-covering and bargain buying brought contracts from morning lows, traders said. “Hogs (futures) were simply too cheap. The price had gotten to the point where (investors) had wrung out any sort of spring seasonal rally,” said independent CME livestock futures […] Read more

Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau in the House of Commons March 22. (Budget.gc.ca via YouTube)

Agrifood a pillar in federal budget’s ‘innovation’ plan

The federal government’s latest budget puts up Canada’s agrifood sector as one of six “key areas” to benefit from a new national “Innovation and Skills Plan.” Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau on Wednesday unveiled a budget projecting $330.2 billion in expenses in 2017-18 against budgetary revenues of $304.7 billion, for a $28.5 billion deficit. The […] Read more