Livestock
London | Reuters — Britain’s farming industry has warned that hundreds of thousands of pigs may have to be culled within weeks unless the government issues visas to allow more butchers into the country. An acute shortage of butchers and slaughterers in the meat processing industry has been exacerbated by COVID-19 and Britain’s post-Brexit immigration […] Read more
Livestock
Britain facing mass cull of pigs due to butcher shortage
U.S. livestock: CME hog futures pause after rally
Cattle futures end lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures closed mixed on Wednesday as the market paused following a surge tied to last week’s bullish quarterly hog report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), traders said. CME October lean hogs settled down 0.875 cent at 90.8 cents/lb. while the most-active December contract […] Read more
U.S. puts up funds to prevent African swine fever
Haiti, Dominican Republic now 'countries of concern' on CFIA list
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday pledged up to US$500 million to prevent the spread of the fatal pig virus African swine fever, after Haiti and the Dominican Republic recently confirmed outbreaks. A U.S. outbreak would likely slash U.S. pork exports and pig prices, hurting farmers and meat companies such […] Read more
Argentina to restart beef exports to China after caps lifted
Buenos Aires | Reuters — Argentina on Tuesday said it would once again allow cattle farmers to freely export beef to China, lifting a cap imposed earlier this year that had stoked tensions with the agricultural sector. The government had capped beef exports at 50 per cent of the normal volumes to tamp down fast-rising […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hog futures extend rally on USDA data
Feeder cattle up on bargain-buying
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures rose on Tuesday for a fourth straight session as traders continued to digest Friday’s U.S. government report that signaled tighter hog supplies into 2022, analysts said. CME October lean hogs settled up 1.425 cents at 91.675 cents/lb. and the benchmark December contract rose 2.025 […] Read more
Finding affordable cow feed to support body condition
Chances are that pastures have just run out, so what do you feed cattle heading into winter?
Quantity and quality of forage at the end of this summer for beef cows is short. So, where burnt pastures can no longer support the average beef cowherd, whatever forage is on hand with the right supplements might be turned into a sufficient autumn feeding program until winter. The goal of any good fall feeding […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market holds value
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $2-$4 on either side of unchanged; calf prices held value, but there were pockets like Lethbridge where values were $2-$4 higher. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a live basis in the range of $156-$158. If an Alberta feedlot booked its feed grains in April […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hogs surge on bullish USDA data
Chicago cattle futures sag
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures soared on Monday, with the most-active December contract rising its daily limit after a quarterly U.S. Department of Agriculture report showed a smaller-than-expected U.S. hog herd. CME October lean hogs settled up 2.975 cents at 90.25 cents/lb., and the December contract rose its daily […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hogs rise, live cattle slip ahead of USDA reports
Cattle on feed top trade estimates
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures climbed on Friday, largely supported by positioning ahead of a key hog inventory report issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) after the close, analysts said. Higher cash pork prices and the still-wide discount of futures to cash hog prices were also supportive. […] Read more
It’s a bullish market for feeder cattle
Market Update: This is a good time to buy bred heifers or cow-calf pairs
I’ve received many inquiries from cow-calf producers and backgrounding operators regarding the price outlook for feeder cattle. As of early September, tan steers coming straight off grass averaging 920 pounds were quoted at $199 in southern Alberta; Angus-based heifers weighing 850 pounds were valued at $187. Yearling prices have been hovering at 52-week highs over the […] Read more
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