CME February 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures firm despite weak cash markets

Hogs down on technical selling

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures firmed on Wednesday, shrugging off weakness in the cash market in anticipation of tightening supplies in the coming months, traders said. Hog futures eased on a round of technical selling. Traders were expecting a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report on Friday to show an 8.6 per cent […] Read more

Masks, face shields and plastic barriers between work stations are examples of the health and safety protocols at Cargill to protect workers from COVID-19.

Pandemic-battered beef industry may still be in for a rough ride

While Cargill has improved its pandemic protocols, the union representing plant workers wants to see more changes as they head into contract negotiations this winter

Cargill’s Canadian meat plants have made some progress in rebounding from the initial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a possible strike in the new year may pose a major setback for the company and the beef industry. “The company has to fix the structural problems that led to the outbreak,” says Michael Hughes, the […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle market volatility continues

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3 lower to $3 higher. Prices were generally steady to $3 higher on Friday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered its estimate for second-quarter beef production by 125 million lbs. in Thursday’s world agricultural supply and demand estimates (WASDE). Fed and feeder cattle futures […] Read more

CME February 2021 lean hogs with 20-, 30-, 40- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures rally on technical buying

CME cattle futures lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures rose slightly on Tuesday on follow-through buying from a rally on Monday, traders said. Cattle futures eased, pressured by recent weakness in the cash markets as well as some technical sales. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) February lean hogs rose 0.775 cent to settle at 66.45 cents/lb. (all […] Read more


Selecting beef genetics for profitability and performance

Selecting beef genetics for profitability and performance

Three producers touch on everything from feed efficiency to getting the most information possible on AI sires

Three Ontario beef farmers shared their thoughts around increasing performance and profitability through breeding choices. Their panel discussion was part of the 2020 Beef Symposium held at the University of Guelph earlier this year. Brad Gilchrist Beef marketing manager with Semex and owner, Gilchrist Farms, Lucknow, Ont. Gilchrist Farms sell commercial and purebred breeding stock. […] Read more

CME February 2021 lean hogs with 100-day moving average and Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures rally on technical buying

February live cattle futures lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures rose 3.8 per cent on Monday, notching their biggest daily gain since September, in a technical bounce from the three-week low they hit on Friday, traders said. “We hit the bottom end of the range so we are just bouncing back,” said Don Roose, president of brokerage […] Read more


Filming Guardians of the Grasslands.

The power of storytelling

A compelling story combined with all the right skills allowed Ben Wilson to play a vital role reaching audiences beyond the beef industry

When Ben Wilson arrived at the Waldron Ranch Grazing Co-op in June 2019, he and his business partner, Sarah Wray, were there to create a short video about this historic ranch. The two filmmakers, who run Story Brokers Media House, had access to experts from Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The […] Read more

CME February 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle rise on technical and bargain buying

CME lean hog futures sink

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures advanced for a third straight session on Friday supported by technical and bargain buying and as strong packer margins were seen potentially keeping a floor under cash cattle prices. Futures rose despite some demand concerns as soaring U.S. coronavirus rates triggered lockdowns that impact restaurant traffic, and […] Read more


The staff at Bow Valley Genetics.

New opportunities to apply embryo transfer

Embryo transfer may start to grow in commercial herds, in conjunction with other genetic selection tools

When you think of bovine embryo transfer, it’s likely you view it as a technique geared toward the seedstock industry. This advanced reproductive technology is a well-established tool for purebred breeders, and now some embryo transfer practitioners are seeing opportunities for its growth in commercial breeding programs. “Embryo transfer or IVF is not a technology […] Read more

CME February 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle advance in bargain-buying bounce

CME lean hogs drop

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures firmed for a second straight day on Thursday on bargain buying and speculative buying after prices hit 2-1/2 week lows earlier this week. Futures firmed despite lower cash cattle prices and tumbling beef prices as packer demand held stable and processing margins remained profitable. “With the early […] Read more