Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange slid on Friday to end the week lower as cash markets stalled, despite strong slaughter rates. “The weekly kill came in much larger than expected,” said Dennis Smith, commodity broker at Archer Financial. “I suspect that will change the tone of the cash […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures end week lower
June hogs firm, April lower

Farmers’ CWB class action lawsuit gets certified
Suit claims federal government wrongly used farmers' money to help privatize the Wheat Board
A class action lawsuit alleging the government of Canada and G3 Canada Ltd. unlawfully used millions of farmer dollars to privatize the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) has been certified after wending its way through the courts for 10 years. Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Chris Martin delivered his written judgment Tuesday in Winnipeg, clearing the […] Read more

Avian flu hits Alberta poultry farms
Three more poultry farms, one backyard flock also infected in Ontario
Three poultry flocks in central Alberta have now joined an expanding list of Canadian commercial poultry farms hit by highly pathogenic avian influenza. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Thursday it had confirmed high-path H5N1 avian flu on Wednesday in two commercial poultry flocks in Mountain View County, between Calgary and Red Deer, and in […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybeans, corn firm ahead of WASDE
Wheat down, but supported by winter crop stress
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures climbed on Thursday, bolstered by eroding South American production and steady U.S. export sales. CBOT wheat and corn futures eased ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly global supply and demand report due Friday, expected to reflect the potential impact of the war in […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle ease on ample supply, flat cash offers
Flat cutout values drag on hogs
Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange fell on Thursday, pressured by ample cattle supplies that offer little incentive for packers to bid up the cash market. “The supply of market ready cattle is a little less than last year, but it’s still plentiful. It just doesn’t seem like the […] Read more

Supply chain improvement funds pledged in federal budget
Money also added for support of TFWs, P.E.I. potato sector
The federal government’s release last week of its Emissions Reduction Plan has turned out to be the spoiler for new ag funding in Thursday’s 2022 budget — although more money is also pledged to help strengthen cross-country supply chains generally. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Thursday laid out a federal budget with about $452.3 billion […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Low demand, fewer acres expected for cheaper feed barley
MarketsFarm — As corn became the primary feed grain at Alberta feedlots over the past few months, the demand for — and price of — feed barley have diminished over time. But according to one trader, this won’t mean demand will shift from corn to barley anytime soon. Evan Peterson of JGL Commodities in Saskatoon […] Read more

Alberta looks into ‘isolated’ case of PED
Feed, other objects considered possible sources
The source of what’s believed to have been an “isolated” recent case of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) in southern Alberta was likely either feed or some object brought into the barn, veterinary officials say. The chief provincial veterinarian’s office said it was informed by a private veterinarian on Feb. 24 of a suspected case of […] Read more

No poop for you: Manure supplies run short as fertilizer prices soar
Ontario honeywagon maker all sold out
Chicago | Reuters — For nearly two decades, Abe Sandquist has used every marketing tool he can think of to sell the back end of a cow. Poop, after all, needs to go somewhere. The Midwestern entrepreneur has worked hard to woo farmers on its benefits for their crops. Now, facing a global shortage of […] Read more

Advance Payments Program to offer 100 per cent up front
Feds temporarily waive 60 per cent up-front limit
Canadian farmers seeking pre-production cash advances under the federal Advance Payments Program ahead of this year’s spring seeding will be able to get the entire eligible amount up front. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Wednesday announced a “temporary waiving” of the program’s usual requirement that pre-production cash advances be issued in instalments of 60 […] Read more