CME July 2020 lean hogs with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs lower on China trade worries

CME live cattle close lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures fell Monday on worries that deteriorating relations between the United States and China, the world’s biggest pork importer, could inhibit U.S. pork sales to the Asian nation, traders said. China told state-owned firms to halt purchases of soybeans and pork from the United States, […] Read more

Johne’s disease is tricky to diagnose, because while symptoms include weight loss and lower milk production, no fever or loss of appetite is present.

Developing a vaccine to combat Johne’s disease

Canadian researchers are trialling vaccine candidates, and plan to have results in the fall

Just as researchers around the world are racing to find a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus, Canadian scientists have been diligently working to discover a vaccine that works on Johne’s disease in cattle. “We have successfully established and validated our research model using a commercial MAP vaccine currently licensed for use in Australia and Spain,” […] Read more


(PorcOlymel.com)

Olymel pork plant workers take slaughter into OT

Over 800 volunteered for added shifts with charitable twist, packer says

Workers at three Olymel hog slaughter plants in Quebec volunteered for overtime shifts over the weekend to help clear the province’s backlog of market-weight hogs, the company said Saturday. Sollio’s meat packing arm said over 800 workers at its slaughter plants at Yamachiche and St-Esprit and the former F. Menard plant it now owns at […] Read more

Asian giant hornets have noticeably large orange heads and black eyes; worker hornets are about 3.5 cm in length; queens can be up to four to five cm in length, with a wingspan of four to seven cm. (B.C. Ministry of Agriculture)

More ‘murder hornets’ found in B.C., Washington

Findings suggest some were able to overwinter

Reuters/Staff — Officials in British Columbia and Washington state have confirmed new sightings of the Asian giant hornet, dubbed the “murder hornet,” indicating the invasive, predatory insect survived the winter in the Vancouver area and U.S. Pacific Northwest. The stinging hornet, whose queens can grow as large as 2-1/2 inches in length, could potentially pose […] Read more


CME August 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures end lower ahead of weekend

CME lean hogs mostly up

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures retreated on Friday in a profit-taking and technical selling setback ahead of the weekend amid weakening beef prices and concerns about lower-than-normal summer demand as much of the economy remains partially closed. Lean hog futures clawed back earlier losses to end mostly higher as an early drop […] Read more

(ComfreyFarmPork.com)

HyLife buys pork packing, hog production capacity

Firm buys stake in U.S. packer, Manitoba hog farming business

Canadian hog production and pork processing firm HyLife has moved to expand its reach in North American pork packing as well as Manitoba hog farming. La Broquerie, Man.-based HyLife announced last week it has bought a 75 per cent stake in Taylor Corp.’s Prime Pork, a packing and processing operation at Windom, Minnesota, about 200 […] Read more


When to calve?

When to calve?

From the Ground Up with Steve Kenyon

Seeing as though I am calving out a custom herd of cows right now, that seems like a good topic for this month. I know there are lots of different points of view on the best time to calve. It is not for me to say who is right and who is wrong because every […] Read more

(TysonFoods.com)

Tyson to shut Iowa pork plant against COVID-19 outbreak

Plant handles up to 3.5 per cent of U.S. pork output

Chicago | Reuters — Tyson Foods said on Thursday it will temporarily close an Iowa pork plant due to the coronavirus pandemic, a month after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered slaughterhouses to stay open to protect the country’s food supply. Meat processors such as Tyson, WH Group’s Smithfield Foods and JBS USA temporarily closed about […] Read more


CME July 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs lower on China tensions

CME live cattle futures mostly higher

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures dropped by as much as the daily trading limit on Thursday on worries that rising tensions between Washington and Beijing could limit U.S. pork purchases by China, the world’s largest pork consumer. Sino-U.S. relations have worsened as the White House has threatened China with sanctions over its […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle markets reflect mixed tone

U.S. corn offered into southern Alberta

Compared to the previous week, western Canadian yearling prices were $2-$4 higher on average while calves traded unchanged to as much as $8 lower. Larger feedlot operations were actively bidding for 800-plus-lb. feeders across the Prairies due to the limited supply. Lower volumes were available this past week which was supportive for the market. Southern […] Read more