L to R: John Stika (Certified Angus Beef), Marlene, Colton, Paula, Josee and Jean-Paul Monvoisin, Bruce Cobb (Certified Angus Beef).

CRSB holds AGM, Dunn wins auctioneer challenge

NewsMakers from the November 2023 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

NDP leader Wab Kinew is the incoming premier of Manitoba, taking over from Heather Stephenson and the Progressive Conservatives after the recent election. At press time, Kinew was still the premier-elect and had yet to announce his cabinet. However, the NDP’s ag critic, Diljeet Brar, was re-elected. Brar has ag extension experience with the Manitoba […] Read more

Tuberculosis bacteria under an electron microscope.

Saskatchewan expands wildlife testing to include bovine TB

News Roundup from the November 2023 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Recent confirmed cases of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in a Saskatchewan cattle herd have led the province to expand its annual wildlife monitoring program for chronic wasting disease (CWD) to also include TB.  The province each year since 1997 has asked hunters to submit heads from harvested deer, moose and elk to test for CWD. It […] Read more


CME December 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle slide on concerns over beef demand

Chicago December lean hogs settle higher

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures dropped to their lowest level in more than a week at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Monday on concerns about the risk for easing demand for U.S. beef. Feeder cattle futures also declined, while lean hog futures ended higher. Lower-than-expected cash cattle prices last week contributed to uncertainty […] Read more

A facility constructed entirely of modular components in Yar-Sale, Western Siberia. The area is known for extreme temperatures and reindeer meat processing.

Linking the supply chain through modular processing plants

A new company aims to disrupt the meat processing industry and deliver the kinds of cuts customers want through modular buildings

When representatives from the meat industry, microbrew marketing, and feedlot sectors come together, the pieces of a new- to-Canada enterprise begin to snap into place. Almost literally.  Larry Dalton, James Bradbury and Jeff Ball combined their unique viewpoints to create a new method of branding and marketing beef, specifically building small processing plants on local […] Read more


Protein availability can be reduced when it is bound to fibre fractions in forages.

Unpacking an oat silage feed report

Understanding results and applying the information from a feed test is key to developing balanced rations

You’ve collected representative samples of feed and sent them for analysis. Interpreting the results and building a balanced ration is the next step. (see ‘Certificate of Analysis’ report example at bottom) Moisture and dry matter: Moisture represents the amount of water present in a feed sample. Dry matter is what remains after water is removed. Moisture […] Read more

CME December 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hog, cattle futures down on profit-taking

Cash hog values seen softer

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) hog futures closed lower on Friday, retreating on a round of profit-taking after the benchmark December contract rose to its highest level in a month. Soft cash hog values, weaker wholesale pork prices and a large weekly hog slaughter added to bearish sentiment. “We’ve had a pretty […] Read more


Jenilee Peters scanning dried, ground feces on the NIRS.

Demystifying near-infrared spectroscopy

Unpacking how this technology works and how it can used to analyze forage, feed and feces

The composition of feeds, forages and feces has traditionally been determined using wet chemistry methods, often referred to as the gold standard. However, the trade-off for this level of accuracy is often a high cost and a long turnaround time to perform the analysis.  In that time, the nutrient profile of forages in grazing systems […] Read more

Yearlings in the ring during  the Canadian Livestock Auctioneering Championship at Northern Livestock Sales, Lloydminster, Sask.

Auction mart report for the week of November 3, 2023

Regional market analysis from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, courtesy of the Livestock Markets Association of Canada members

Southern Manitoba, courtesy of Killarney Auction Mart We saw 1,440 head through the ring this Monday at Killarney Auction Mart: Cows are holding steady, trading $1.25–$1.35 per pound. High-yielding cows topping at $1.41. Feeders are a little more unpredictable as a very busy fall run continues. Numbers are being bumped with a larger-than-normal volume of […] Read more


CME January 2024 feeder cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs soar as U.S. Fed piques investors’ risk appetite

Beef, pork export sales above four-week average

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle and hog futures rose on Thursday following broad strength in Wall Street equities, crude oil and other commodities, as investors’ risk appetite increased a day after the U.S. Federal Reserve kept benchmark interest rates on hold. “The emphasis is really from the ‘risk-on’ macro play, driven […] Read more

CCA reports: Trade, support programs and processing regs fill fall agenda

CCA reports: Trade, support programs and processing regs fill fall agenda

From the October 2023 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

The arrival of fall always brings a flurry of activity at the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) and renewed energy to advance the key priorities of cattle producers. This year is no different and we have important work that needs to continue on many important policy fronts.  With the return of Parliament in mid-September, our tradition […] Read more