U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures down on long liquidation

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures down on long liquidation

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell to a six-week low on Wednesday as lower cash beef prices and bearish technical signals prompted a round of long liquidation, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed mixed, with nearby contracts turning higher and gaining against back months. Commodity funds hold net long […] Read more

Once a calf has been weaned, providing a low-cost, balanced ration that supplies the required nutrients for the desired rate of gain is key to success.

The nature and design of backgrounding rations

Nutrition with John McKinnon

Over the past number of years, I have had the opportunity to work with several operations whose business plans focus on backgrounding weaned calves. These programs generally fall into one of two categories. The first involves feeding calves weighing 550 to 650 pounds over the winter and marketing them in the spring at weights ranging […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

R-CALF suit alleges U.S. packers conspired to suppress fed cattle prices

Reuters — Four of the largest U.S. beef-packing companies were accused in a lawsuit on Tuesday of violating federal antitrust law by conspiring to drive down prices they paid ranchers for cattle, even as retail beef prices hovered near record levels. Tyson Foods, Cargill, the JBS USA unit of Brazil’s JBS and National Beef Packing […] Read more


Olds College is now recognized as a “Certified Sustainable” beef production facility.

Olds College gets Verified Beef status

Verified Beef Production: News Roundup from the April 2019 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Olds College is now a Verified Beef Production Plus (VBP+) beef operation. “As a post-secondary institution focused on agriculture, it is important for Olds College to raise our livestock using sustainable methods that support healthy animals, have minimal environmental impacts and offer transparency to the consumer,” said Stuart Cullum, Olds College president, in a release. […] Read more



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

Klassen: Feeder market remains volatile

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3-$5 on either side of unchanged. Many auction barns were closed last week and the ones holding sales had smaller numbers. Quality packages of yearlings were on the higher end of the range while smaller groups of fleshier replacements were discounted. Alberta feedlots were focusing […] Read more

Photo: iStock/File

U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures lower, live cattle follow suit

Chicago | Reuters – U.S. hog futures declined on Monday on a mix of softer cash hog prices and technical selling after a run-up to contract highs earlier this month, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures followed hogs lower. The benchmark June lean hogs contract fell roughly 3 percent, settling down 2.975 cents at 93.775 […] Read more


CPF’s purchase of HyLife aims to improve its product portfolio for the Chinese market and expand its U.S. presence.  Photo: Thinkstock

Thai CPF to acquire Canadian pork producer HyLife for $372 million

Bangkok | Reuters – Charoen Pokphand Foods Pcl (CPF), Thailand’s largest agriculture conglomerate, said on Monday it would acquire Canadian pork producer HyLife Investments for C$498 million ($372.7 million) to expand its North American business. The acquisition would make CPF a 50.1 percent owner of HyLife, with the remainder held by its Japanese partner, Itochu […] Read more