Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures fell on Wednesday, as the futures market continues to cool in the wake of last week’s rally and on news that the size of China’s hog herd is quickly growing. Hog futures soared last week after Germany reported its first case of African swine fever (ASF) and China […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures fall as China’s hog herd rebounds
CME December live cattle rise

CBOT weekly outlook: Chinese demand leading factor in bullish soy market
MarketsFarm — China’s demand for U.S. soybeans has been the major factor behind the bullish soy complex at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), according to Terry Reilly of Futures International in Chicago. China has been on something of a buying tear, with sales being announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on a […] Read more

Kraft Heinz to sell several cheese businesses to Lactalis
Canadian grated cheese lines among assets going for US$3.2 billion
Chicago | Reuters — Kraft Heinz said on Tuesday that it will sell several of its cheese businesses to a U.S. affiliate of France’s Groupe Lactalis for US$3.2 billion. After weak sales results and several billion-dollar writedowns over the past two years, there has been market speculation about which categories Kraft Heinz will offload from […] Read more

U.S. to remove tariffs on Canadian aluminum
Ottawa drops threat of retaliation on stock trailers, fencing, other aluminum goods
Washington/Ottawa | Reuters — The Trump administration said on Tuesday it will remove 10 per cent U.S. tariffs on raw Canadian aluminum as long as imports of the metal stay below levels that are expected to “normalize” over the next four months. In response, Canada dropped a threat to impose billions of dollars of retaliatory […] Read more

Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show looks to lock in land base
GFM plans to buy research land for eastern Discovery Farm
As Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show goes digital this week, its operator is preparing to secure its real-world footprint in southern Ontario and put that real estate to year-round work. Glacier FarmMedia and the Ontario government on Tuesday announced their intent to work toward a land deal with the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO), which […] Read more

Pulse weekly outlook: Lentil crop expected to spike in Alberta
MarketsFarm — One bright spot for Alberta agriculture in 2020 has been the province’s lentil crop. The amount of the pulse grown this year skyrocketed by more than 173 per cent than compared to 2019, according to Statistics Canada. The federal agency reported Monday that lentil production in Alberta is set to hit a record […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy down on profit-taking after climb above US$10
CBOT corn, wheat also down
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures fell on Tuesday, retreating from two-year highs above US$10 a bushel as traders booked profits and forecasts called for favourable weather for the start of the U.S. Midwest harvest, analysts said. Corn futures backed down from six-month highs set a day earlier, and wheat also declined. Chicago Board […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Futures mixed on pork export questions, cattle supplies
U.S. beef packer margins down on week
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures had a mixed performance on Tuesday, as the supply of cattle being offered for sale continued to shrink and traders wrestled with uncertainty over pork export demand. An additional five cases of African swine fever (ASF) were initially found in dead wild boars in Germany. Initial tests were […] Read more

Klassen: Yearling market holding value
Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were relatively unchanged while calves traded $3 higher to $3 lower on average. The yearling run is well underway and there was no shortage of buying interest. Finishing feedlots were very aggressive on quality packages coming fresh off grass. Once again, buyers focused on local cattle, causing […] Read more

U.S.-bound truckload of Alberta beef disappears
Over $230,000 in JBS beef hasn't turned up, RCMP says
A reefer truck loaded with over $230,000 in beef from the JBS plant at Brooks, Alta. is more than two weeks overdue and alleged to be travelling on “fraudulent documents,” RCMP say. Brooks RCMP said Monday they’re investigating after a transport truck that was subcontracted to haul a full load of beef from the JBS […] Read more