CME April 2020 lean hogs with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures hit 17-1/2-year low

Cattle also sink as virus measures disrupt markets

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures fell on Friday to the lowest point since late 2002 on tumbling pork prices and slowing slaughter rates as measures to control the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools and restaurants and sent U.S. unemployment rates soaring. Cattle futures also dropped as wholesale beef and cash feedlot cattle prices […] Read more

File photo of hogs in transit near Red Deer, Alta. (Stefonlinton/iStock/Getty Images)

Canada’s pork sector up to speed, aware of challenges

Processing plants enhancing biosecurity; producers being urged to watch their stress levels

They’re adding protective plexiglass shields, bringing in trailers to separate groups of workers, and boosting communication on biosecurity. It’s all part of an ongoing effort to ensure pork processing plants aren’t disrupted by COVID-19. “I’m very impressed by our packers, and for the workers for coming to work every day and being there and realizing […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Pandemic planning leads to staff cuts at Agropur

Dairy co-operative enters 'business continuity' mode

Dairy co-operative Agropur’s “business continuity” plan against the COVID-19 pandemic calls for job cuts and layoffs for about three per cent of its total workforce. Longueuil, Que.-based Agropur announced Thursday it will eliminate 60 positions and temporarily lay off another 200 employees, all from its Canadian operations. In the “unprecedented context” of COVID-19, Agropur said […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Hog futures drop to 3-1/2 year low

Cattle also limit down on coronavirus pandemic

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures dropped to a 3-1/2 year low on Thursday while cattle tumbled as recession concerns and surging U.S. unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic triggered broad liquidation across the battered livestock markets. Both live and feeder cattle and lean hogs dropped by their daily trading limits for a second […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Alberta’s provincial meat inspectors to train for federal duty

Provincial inspectors to be seconded to CFIA-inspected packers

Provincial meat inspectors in Alberta could soon be seconded to federally inspected packing plants under a new work-sharing arrangement between the province and Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The federal and Alberta governments announced Wednesday they would partner to “increase food inspector capacity” in the province and thus “ensure the continuous operation of Alberta’s food supply […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs limit down on coronavirus fears

Market has to 'reevaluate' supply/demand picture

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) plunged by their daily trading limits on Wednesday as stricter coronavirus emergency measures hammered stock markets and deepened worries about a global recession. Live cattle futures dropped for the fourth time in five sessions, erasing all of the prior session’s gains, while […] Read more


Dr. Annick Bertrand, a plant physiologist with AAFC in Quebec, checks the progress of cross-pollinated alfalfa plants selected for winter hardiness.

Coming Up in Canadian Cattlemen: April 6, 2020

A look at some of the stories in the April issue of the magazine.

I hope you are all staying safe and well in the midst of this pandemic. There are many uncertainties, but as beef producers, your work has never been more important than it is right now. COVID-19 is renewing the public’s appreciation for those who grow and raise our food, along with other workers in the […] Read more

(Lovelyshot/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. senators scrutinize meat packers’ profits during pandemic

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. senators are calling for investigations of record profit margins for beef processors such as Tyson Foods and Cargill, after ranchers complained surging meat prices due to coronavirus hoarding did not translate into higher cattle prices. Futures prices for cattle have tumbled during the outbreak, worrying farmers as the U.S. economy […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures jump in end-of-month, -quarter rebound

Lean hog futures up in most months

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rallied by as much as the daily three-cent trading limit on Tuesday in an end-of-month and end-of-quarter profit-taking bounce following a steep drop fueled by concerns about the fast-spreading coronavirus and its economic impact. The recent dive in prices as governments imposed stay-at-home orders and restrictions on […] Read more