CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle post new highs, retreat on profit-taking

Chicago lean hogs close mixed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rose to multi-year highs on Monday but closed lower as profit-taking and technical selling clipped gains, traders said. The spread of a new coronavirus variant sparked demand worries as livestock traders feared renewed restrictions on travel and restaurant occupancy. But strong beef packer margins and […] Read more

CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures set new contract highs

February hogs drop to two-week low

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures set new highs on Friday and finished stronger on technical buying and firm cash prices, traders said. The front-month December contract and most-active February 2022 contract avoided losses seen in commodities such as crude oil and soybeans that were unnerved by the discovery of a […] Read more


File photo outside Cargill’s beef slaughter and packing plant at High River, Alta. on May 6, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Todd Korol)

Cargill serves lockout notice on High River workers

Company 'willing to keep meeting' after offer rejected

Updated — Whether in a strike or a lockout, workers at one of Canada’s biggest beef slaughter plants took another step toward the picket line this week by voting to reject the company’s latest contract offer. A vote conducted Tuesday and Wednesday by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 401 went to the […] Read more

CME December 2021 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle hit fresh high

Higher cash values, beef demand support futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures rose for a sixth consecutive session on Wednesday, and the front-month contract touched its highest point in four-and-a-half years, on higher cash market prices and strong beef demand. Most contracts posted life-of-contract highs, extending a multi-session rally, amid rising beef imports by China and […] Read more



File photo of a dairy operation in B.C.’s Fraser Valley. (Modfos/iStock/Getty Images)

Some B.C. milk runs resume as roads reopen

Sumas Prairie remains under boil water advisory

Milk pickups are resuming for some southern British Columbia dairy farmers, days after flooding and landslides caused by a days-long rainstorm cut off vehicle traffic through the region. In the wake of the Nov. 14-16 storm, with trucks unable to reach farms, the B.C. Milk Marketing Board on Nov. 16 asked that affected dairy farmers […] Read more


CME December 2021 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle notch 4-1/2 year high

Lean hogs gain on good demand

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures rose for a fifth consecutive session on Tuesday and the front-month contract reached its highest in 4-1/2-years on a firm cash market and good beef demand. Cattle prices have been trending higher amid rising imports by China and improved domestic demand as more consumers […] Read more

CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle notch 4-1/2-year high

Lean hogs gain on good demand

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) climbed for a fourth straight session on Monday, with front-month contract hitting a fresh 4-1/2-year high on strong demand. Lean hog futures also firmed, supported by good demand. Lighter-than-normal trading volumes aided livestock futures’ advance on Monday, with little selling pressure ahead […] Read more


The nitrate level in a sample of this grass regrowth were somewhat elevated and there was always a risk there could be some “real hot spots” in other parts of the 40 acre field.

Play it safe with high nitrates

Proper management of drought-affected forages can reduce the risk to livestock

This year’s drought taught me many lessons about the dangers of high nitrates in beef cow forage. That is why I recommend that all cow-calf producers test all their harvested forages for nitrates, whatever field it came from. It’s going to be money well spent, whether tests are negative or positive. And if they are […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

High River beef plant workers to vote on Cargill offer

UFCW bargaining committee is recommending nay

Workers on the verge of striking at Cargill’s major beef cattle slaughter plant at High River, Alta. will vote this week on a new contract offer from the company. However, the union bargaining committee for the workers, represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 401, is recommending employees vote against the proposal. […] Read more