(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle steady but demand remains sluggish

Western Canadian feeder cattle prices traded in line with week-ago levels on average, though the market was quite variable across the Prairies. Favourable temperatures in southern Alberta enhanced demand on all weight categories, especially on grassers from 500 to 650 lbs. Higher-quality backgrounded cattle were also $4-$8 higher in certain cases in Alberta. In Saskatchewan […] Read more


(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. EPA moves to pull crop insecticide from sale

CLARIFIED, March 7, 2016: Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it was moving to halt sale of insecticides from chemical firms Bayer and Nichino America containing an active ingredient, flubendiamide, found to pose risks to the environment. Bayer CropScience had anticipated the action after rejecting the EPA’s request to voluntarily […] Read more

Cow chewing hay

If you’ve got mouldy hay and grain, what are your options?

Nutrition with John McKinnon

As the calving season is fast approaching, it is appropriate to address one of the important causes of abortion in cattle that being mouldy feed. Mould can be a result of either fungal or yeast infection of cereals or forages grown for feed. Infection occurs in the field during plant growth or during harvest/storage. Examples […] Read more





(Gov.sk.ca)

Saskatchewan to halt winter weights early in southwest

Weight allowances that let heavier grain trucks roll on more southwestern Saskatchewan highways over the winter will end a week early, thanks to recent mild weather. The province’s highways ministry announced Friday it will remove the winter weight allowances on secondary-weight highways in the southwest region effective Monday (Feb. 22). “While frozen roads provide a […] Read more

DuPont’s headquarters in Delaware. (DuPont.com)

DuPont, Dow set home towns for merged spinoff units

Reuters — DuPont and Dow Chemical said two of the three units to be created and spun off following the companies’ mega-merger will be based in DuPont’s home town, and one in Dow’s home town. The two chemical companies agreed to combine in an all-stock merger in December, valued at US$130 billion at the time, […] Read more


Departure from average precipitation for the period from Nov. 1, 2015 to Feb. 15, 2016. (Map courtesy AAFC)

Drought watch kept on Alberta, early spring expected

CNS Canada — Above-average temperatures and limited precipitation could mean parts of the Prairies will struggle with soil moisture heading into the spring, according to one specialist. “The soil moisture that we have in the ground right now is similar to what we went into the winter with,” said Trevor Hadwen, agroclimate specialist with Agriculture […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Lower fed cattle market pressures feeders

Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were trading $5-$10 below week-ago levels on average last week. Fully weaned vaccinated calves were trading down $5-$8 while semi-weaned bawlers were down a solid $10. Shorter-keep replacements over 850 lbs. were down $8-$12 depending on flesh levels but harder-looking cattle were down sharply, as much as $15. Extremely cold […] Read more