
U.S. livestock: June live cattle, hogs continue lower
Feeder cattle also down on day
Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s most-active June live cattle and lean hog contracts continued on a downward track in Monday’s trade. June live cattle closed Monday at $155.525, beneath the lower end of its 20-day Bollinger range and down 87.5 cents from Friday’s close (all figures US$ per hundredweight). Front-month April, meanwhile, opened near its 50-day moving […] Read more

B.C. farmers granted late entry for AgriStability
Avian flu, 'extreme weather' events considered
With bird flu outbreaks and last spring’s weather woes in mind, farmers and ranchers in British Columbia are now spotted until the end of June to enrol in AgriStability. The province and the federal ag department on Tuesday announced they’ve agreed on a late participation option for the 2022 program year. In this case, the […] Read more

High-path avian flu pops back up in southern Ontario
Three outbreaks in Canadian poultry this month, plus skunks
Feather industry officials are calling for “extreme caution” among poultry farmers after cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza turned up at two southern Ontario properties in the past week. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it has confirmed cases of the virus detected last Friday in a backyard poultry flock in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, […] Read more

Manitoba Deere dealer expands westward reach
Enns Bros. to buy Shoal Lake's S.H. Dayton
A major dealer of John Deere equipment in Manitoba is extending its catchment in the province’s west to include a long-established Deere shop. Winnipeg-based Enns Bros. announced Friday it has a deal in place to buy the assets of S.H. Dayton Ltd., a Deere equipment dealership at Shoal Lake, about 100 km northwest of Brandon. […] Read more

Maple Leaf sees ‘inflection point’ beyond red ink of 2022
Packer books net losses in Q4, full-year
Another of Canada’s major pork and poultry packers has reported significant net losses in its 2022 ledger, but sees “green shoots” suggesting a return to normal pork markets and stable supply chains this year. Maple Leaf Foods on Thursday reported a net loss of $311.89 million on $4.739 billion in gross sales for its fiscal […] Read more

McCain to double Alberta french fry plant capacity
Lethbridge-area plant to more than double staff count
Alberta’s plans to boost its irrigated acres are being met near the starting line with a major french fry producer’s plans to double the capacity of its plant there. McCain Foods announced Monday it will put up $600 million to build two new production lines for frozen french fries and potato specialty goods at its […] Read more

Cyberattack a $23 million hit on Maple Leaf ledger
Company refused to pay ransom
Last fall’s ransomware attack at pork and poultry packer Maple Leaf Foods led to an “adverse economic impact” of $23 million or more on the company’s bottom line as it worked to restore systems, officials said. The company on Thursday released that estimate as part of its fourth-quarter financial report, in which it booked a […] Read more

Adama’s lambda-cy products to be available this year
Company to continue selling Silencer, Zivata after recall
The Canadian arm of ag chem firm Adama says it’s relabelled its inventories of lambda-cyhalothrin insecticide products Silencer and Zivata and will have them available for sale to farmers in 2023. The company had said last November it wasn’t yet sure those products would be available this year under an approaching deadline following a 2021 […] Read more

Former OFA president to lead CFA
Keith Currie acclaimed to replace Mary Robinson
A former president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture is taking the helm of Canada’s largest general farmers’ organization. Keith Currie of Collingwood, Ont. was acclaimed as the new president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture this week during the CFA’s annual general meeting in Ottawa. As CFA president, Currie replaces Mary Robinson of Albany, […] Read more

Meat lobby says U.S. voluntary label rule could spur trade action
Ottawa to review Washington's proposed 'Product of USA' rule
U.S. meat industry lobbyists say Washington’s proposed new rules governing voluntary ‘Product of USA’ or ‘Made in the USA’ labels would “impose the same standard” as that country’s now-defunct mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) law — and frustrate U.S. packers who import Canadian meat or livestock. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Food Safety and […] Read more