File photo of a wild boar crossing a road in Sweden. (Ockra/iStock/Getty Images)

Swine fever detected in Sweden for first time

Recent outbreak in Balkans spurred culls

Stockholm | Reuters — A dead wild boar in Sweden has tested positive for African swine fever, Sweden’s Veterinary Institute said on Wednesday, the first such case in the country. African swine fever is harmless to humans but is highly contagious and deadly in domestic pigs and wild boars. It has spread from Africa to […] Read more

Robert Stwalley, a clinical associate professor in Purdue University’s department of agricultural and biological engineering, shows the hog cooling pad technology IHT has now licensed to make and sell in North America. (Photo: Tom Campbell/Purdue Agricultural Communication via Canada NewsWire)

Farrowing heat pad firm to bring hog cooling pads to market

Manitoba's IHT to offer new system next spring

A Winnipeg-area company providing heating pad and lighting systems for hog barns is set to add a U.S.-developed line of hog cooling pads to its product lineup. IHT (Innovative Heating Technologies) Group announced Thursday it will make and sell a line of water-cooled pads that use a patented system designed at Purdue University in Indiana, […] Read more


(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Anti-ASF funds designated for Manitoba Pork

Three initiatives will be funded through the federal African swine fever preparedness program

The Manitoba Pork Council’s efforts against African swine fever now have almost $1 million in extra financial padding. On Aug. 3, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced $944,340 in funding for Manitoba’s hog farm group. Funds were provided through AAFC’s African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program and were slotted for three initiatives: Squeal on Pigs, increased […] Read more

Photo: ARS/USDA

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs decline; cattle inches higher

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell on Thursday, pressured by declining demand and expectations of greater supplies of market-ready hogs heading into the fall, analysts said. “You had a cutout that took a big step back yesterday. You had export numbers that weren’t especially supportive this morning, and the fact […] Read more


Photo: ARS/USDA

U.S. livestock: CME lean hog futures climb on strong demand

SubtitleCattle futures were pressured by softer cash prices and uncertain consumer demand

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures climbed to nearly four-month highs on Monday, supported by strong demand. “Cash trade got off to a good start. There’s margin out there with where fresh pork values are at. I think that’s helping to move things along,” said Matthew Wiegand, risk management consultant at FuturesOne. […] Read more

(Deyana Robova photo/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hog futures reach one-week high

For beef processors, margins are worsening

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures rose on Friday, with the hog market reaching its highest price in a week as profit margins improved for pork processors. The hog market has turned higher after dropping to a one-week low on Wednesday. Most-active October lean hog futures LHV3 ended up 1.775 cents to […] Read more


Photo: Canada Beef Inc.

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures mixed; feeders boosted as corn slumps

Chicago | Reuters – Feeder cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (CME) ticked up again on Thursday, bolstered by continued weakness in corn futures Cv1, while live cattle futures were mixed on somewhat sluggish cash sales, analysts said. The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Thursday morning that export sales of beef rose to 21,400 […] Read more



Photo: Canada Beef

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures extend profit-taking slide

Chicago | Reuters – Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group fell on Tuesday for a fourth session on profit-taking after last week’s contract highs, and a month-long slide in wholesale beef prices that erased meat packers’ profit margins, analysts said. CME August live cattle futures LCQ3 settled Tuesday down 0.450 cent at 178.300 cents […] Read more

(File photo)

U.S. livestock: live cattle futures end mixed; feeders pressured as corn soars

Persistent poor pasture conditions pushing producers to place more cattle in feedlots: analysts

Chicago | Reuters – Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group closed mixed on Monday, with nearby contracts pressured by surging feed grain prices and bearish data in Friday’s monthly U.S. Cattle on Feed report. CME August live cattle futures LCQ3 settled down 1.275 cents at 178.750 cents per pound and most-active October LCV3 […] Read more