
Livestock

Hold off on milk price hike, dairy farmers say
Dairy commission to consult again before making annual adjustment
The process to set the next national price adjustment for Canadian milk will now take an extra week, triggered by stakeholder objections, for a round of consultations — in which the national dairy farmer group plans to call for a delay on any increase. The Canadian Dairy Commission — the Crown corporation managing Canada’s milk […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hog, cattle futures decline
Pigs seen bulking up on new-crop corn
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock markets weakened on Monday, with lean hog futures nearing their lowest price in more than four months. Concerns about lacklustre demand for U.S. pork continued to hang over the market, analysts said. Seasonally, hog futures also tend to decline around this time of year as pigs fatten […] Read more

Major determinants of profit
From enterprise mix to inputs, Burke Teichert unpacks the decision-making that makes a ranch profitable
In a previous article, I asked, Profitable Ranching — Is it Possible? I answered, “Yes, if you know how.” In two recent articles, I presented the five essentials for successful ranch management, which I believe are the essential attitudes, approaches or mindset you need to be profitable: You can find those articles in the May […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle retreat as energy rally dents beef demand outlook
Lean hog futures mostly also lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures fell on Friday as traders banked profits and squared positions ahead of the weekend as geopolitical turmoil riled energy markets and stoked concerns about beef demand. Crude oil rallied more than five per cent on Friday on the escalating Middle East conflict as the Israeli military […] Read more

Buying and using technology on the farm the right way
There’s an ever-growing plethora of technology available, but what makes sense for your operation?
Getting the most out of precision livestock technology can be daunting. Betty-Jo Almond says the best approach is to do the research, know what you want to accomplish and ensure whatever you choose fits your operation. “The goal of these technologies is to make data capture easy so that you are better informed to help […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs rise on technical buying
USDA supply data seen as priced into market
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures rose on Thursday as technical buyers stepped into the market after prices weakened earlier in the session. Traders said the massive supplies reported by the U.S. Agriculture Department have been priced in and speculators were likely to buy any dip in the market at current levels. […] Read more

Australia buys vaccines for lumpy skin disease to safeguard cattle exports
Recent scares halted some live export trade
Canberra | Reuters — The Australian government said on Wednesday it had bought a supply of vaccines for lumpy skin disease (LSD), a highly infectious condition affecting cattle, as part of efforts to control the disease and maintain live animal exports. The government says Australia is free of LSD but infection scares in recent months […] Read more

Carbon farming: fad or trend?
An Ontario-based company is banking on farmer interest in emerging carbon markets
There’s a lot of buzz surrounding carbon markets, and producers are looking into another way they can make their farms and ranches generate revenue from the soil. But it’s still early going in Canada and it’s a complex industry, so many questions remain. “The most important thing is that producers need to be at the […] Read more

Saskatchewan expands wildlife testing to include bovine TB
CFIA probe of cattle herd finds 10 infected so far
Recent confirmed cases of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in a Saskatchewan cattle herd have led the province to expand its annual wildlife monitoring program for chronic wasting disease (CWD) to also include TB. The province each year since 1997 has asked hunters to submit heads from harvested deer, moose and elk to test for CWD. It […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Chicago cattle turn higher
CME lean hogs mostly lower
Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle futures turned solidly higher Wednesday while lean hogs mostly continued lower. Most-active December live cattle closed 1.975 cents higher Wednesday at 186.975 cents/lb., erasing two days’ losses, but not before touching a one-month low of 184.25 (all figures US$). Both front-month October 2023 and February 2024 turned 1.925 cents higher, […] Read more