The Big River Resources ethanol plant at West Burlington, Iowa, about 120 km southwest of Davenport. (Steven Vaughn photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. ethanol expected to be competitive in 2017

San Diego | CNS Canada –– Weaker commodity prices and less international competition are expected to lend demand and profitability to the U.S. ethanol market in 2017, one analyst says. But changing political and policy environments — in the U.S. and abroad — add an element of uncertainty to the market, and the potential to […] Read more

CCA Report: More market access for Canadian beef

From the October 24, 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

There have been a number of great successes in breaking down barriers in international markets recently that beef producers should take stock of. In September, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met in Ottawa with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and announced that China will allow bone-in Canadian beef from cattle under 30 months of age (UTM) effective […] Read more


hamburger on a plate

CCA Report: An update on Canada’s beef trade

From the May 2015 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Calving season is well underway and I am feeling very optimistic about the future. Prices, which seem to reach new market highs for all classes of cattle each week, are part of the reason. A global shortage of beef, largely due to prolonged and widespread drought, has pushed the U.S. cattle herd to a 50-year […] Read more

We need a shift when it comes to international trade

The disappointment in the financial performance of China is almost palatable in the West. With Chinese banks badly indebted and infrastructure in disarray, the nearly religious adoration that Canada unabashedly displayed in every public and policy corner has somewhat quieted. Volatility in the world markets driven by the widespread underlying dissolving of currency value and […] Read more


COOL case gets a reboot

Calving is always a time for optimism and this year the outlook is especially good with strong beef demand and prices at record highs. Producers who toughed it out and survived the last decade are finally seeing the prices and market conditions that make it all worthwhile. The current price environment comes as a result […] Read more

Cattle in a livestock pen.

The COOL nightmare

Country-of-origin labelling (COOL) has become the North American meat industry’s nightmare that refuses to end. Just when the industry thinks resolution is in sight, hopes are dashed and the battle continues. Opponents and supporters have been deeply divided ever since the idea of COOL emerged in the late 1990s. It’s remarkable that this hasn’t divided […] Read more


Canadian embargo

Reprinted from the Sept. 1947 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

From cattlemen and their organizations comes an insistent query, “When will Ottawa permit us to ship our cattle to the United States?” That question must be answered unequivocally by the Dominion government. It had authority to take away the right of private export; it has the authority to restore it. Logic now dictates that the […] Read more

Feed Grains Overview

The feed grains complex has been under pressure throughout the fall season due to larger Canadian barley and U.S. corn production. Now that harvest is wrapped up, the fundamental structure is basically set for the crop year. Barley and corn values also affect feeder cattle prices and the overall margin structure for feedlot operators. Corn […] Read more