Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts closed sharply lower on Thursday, pulled down by the stock market’s sheer drop caused by European deflation and Argentina default worries. Wall Street investors dumped long positions across a broad range of commodities, including CME livestock futures, an analyst said. Global economic jitters could undermine consumer confidence, which could […]
Category Archives Livestock
Cargill, citing shrinking cattle herd, to shut Wisconsin beef plant — July 31, 2014
Reuters — Cargill Inc, one of the nation’s largest beef processors, said on Wednesday it plans to close its Milwaukee, Wisconsin, beef-processing plant on Friday, because the size of the U.S. herd has fallen to its smallest in 63 years. The ground beef production side of the plant, which employs about 200 people, will remain […]
Mink ranchers get reprieve from depressed market
The federal government has extended the deadline for repaying cash advances
Canada’s financially beleaguered mink producers received a bit of good news last week when the federal government extended the deadline for repaying their 2013 cash advances. Producers now have until June 1, 2015 to repay their Advance Payment Program (APP) cash advances instead of September 30, 2014. The move provides some relief for producers who […]
U.S. appeals court upholds federal meat labelling regulation — July 29, 2014
A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday rejected a food industry challenge to a federal rule concerning labelling requirements for meat, marking a potential setback for other businesses fighting federal regulations on free-speech grounds. For the second time, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the 2013 regulation could be enforced. […]
U.S. proposes allowing more pork imports from Mexican states — July 29, 2014
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed a change in regulations that would relax restrictions on pork imports from certain areas of Mexico, potentially allowing for increased U.S. imports at a time of a supply shortage. The proposal would permit pork to be imported from certain parts of Mexico defined as having a […]
Brazil cattle herd to grow two per cent this year — July 29, 2014
sao paulo Brazil, home of the world’s largest commercial cattle herd, will likely grow its stock by two per cent this year from 2013, reaching a record 198.7 million head, according to a report sponsored by analysts Informa Economics FNP. The increase is due to better management and more investment in maintaining pastures, according to […]
Support for Assiniboine River water commission grows
Stakeholders will meet again at November convention in Regina to formalize organization
The push to create a water commission for the Assiniboine River Basin is gaining momentum following the catastrophic flooding in western Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan this spring. “This ongoing (flooding) event has certainly heightened awareness of the need for a basin-wide agency,” said Wanda McFadyen, who was hired by the Prairie Improvement Network to manage […]
Beef producers: reading this will lower your blood pressure
As long as you’re not producing well-marbled carcasses
Penn State University researchers say that contrary to conventional wisdom, a growing body of evidence shows that eating lean beef can reduce risk factors for heart disease. “This research adds to the significant evidence, including work previously done in our lab, that supports lean beef’s role in a heart-healthy diet,” Penny M. Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor […]
Klassen: Feeder market surges like a rocket — steers hit $330 — July 27, 2014
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were extreme volatile and relatively undefined as the market made fresh historical highs. U.S. weekly beef production continues to come in below expectations and the market appears to be in a “supply shock.” At the same time, market-ready supplies of slaughter cattle are rather tight moving into August causing packers […]
Livestock: Healthy pastures drop U.S. June cattle placements by 6 pct — July 25, 2014
Reuters — The number of cattle placed in U.S. feedlots in June fell 6 per cent from a year ago as plentiful grazing land allowed animals to be fattened outside of feedyards longer, a government report showed on Friday. Feedyards are drawing from a shallow pool of market-ready animals after years of drought in parts […]