(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Cattle rebound on technical buying, lower animal weights

Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. cattle futures climbed on Thursday, rising on technical buying and lower animal weights that suggested feedlots were aggressively marketing cattle to meet strong beef packer demand, traders and analysts said. Both Chicago Mercantile Exchange live and feeder cattle futures were technically oversold after steep losses during the past two weeks. […] Read more



(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Hogs end mixed on profit-taking

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures jumped to the highest levels in three months on Wednesday, rising alongside wholesale pork prices before some hog contracts turned lower on profit-taking, traders and analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures were mostly higher, buoyed by expectations that U.S. consumers will buy more meat for outdoor […] Read more

(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Manitoba confirms fourth PED case of year

Another finisher barn in southeastern Manitoba has tested positive for porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) in the province’s fourth on-farm case of the disease this year. Manitoba Pork Council general manager Andrew Dickson said barn staff noticed symptoms Sunday. Tests were taken the following day with results confirmed Tuesday. “That doesn’t mean every pig in the […] Read more


cattle feeding

Musings on how much cattle eat and drink

Charlie Gracey looks at grain and water usage in cattle

Conventional wisdom holds that beef cattle are wasteful users of grain and in direct competition with humans for finite supplies of food grains and water. Thus the large acreages devoted to feed grains might better be deployed in the production of crops directly consumable by humans. This observation may appear logical on the surface but, […] Read more

(Regis Lefebure photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: Hogs hit three-month high

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures on Tuesday reached their highest level since mid-February, fueled by strong cash and wholesale pork prices, traders said. June futures led gainers after investors bought that contract and sold deferred months, prompted by bullish market fundamentals, traders said. June closed 1.475 cents/lb. higher at 78.725 […] Read more


New president for Canadian Meat Council, new inductees for Sask. Agricultural Hall of Fame

NewsMakers from the May 2017 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Chris White is the new president and CEO of the Canadian Meat Council. He comes to the council with 20 years experience in government and industry relations as chief of staff for five federal cabinet ministers and vice-president of government relations in the finance, insurance, and auto sectors. The Canadian Meat Council represents 400 federally […] Read more

(JBSsa.com)

JBS delays but does not give up on U.S. IPO plan

Sao Paulo | Reuters — JBS SA, the world’s largest meatpacker, has delayed but not ditched its plan to list a U.S. subsidiary this year despite a series of investigations targeting the company’s owners, CEO Wesley Batista said Tuesday. A court last week ruled the CEO and his brother Joesley, fellow founder and current JBS […] Read more


Brazil police probe ag ministry for corruption

Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazilian federal police started two separate investigations on Tuesday into suspected corruption at the Agriculture Ministry to benefit meatpacking, dairy and other food companies. The probes into whether inspection procedures were eased in favour of certain unnamed companies comes two months after the country’s meatpacking industry was rocked by a […] Read more