Dry pastures near Virden near the end of July.

Manitoba’s hay picture remains unclear

Without rain, many farmers could find themselves short

Farmers who think they might be short on feed should take steps now or risk paying higher prices amid lack of supply, according to Manitoba’s forage experts. “You may wait and find out that it’s gone up three, four or five cents a pound, or it may not even be available at the quality that

Leaseholders pack into a fall 2019 meeting in Ste. Rose du Lac soon after the release of new Crown land regulations.

Crown land changes approved

Producers have been fighting to get the system changed for years

Producers say they hope the latest changes to Agricultural Crown Lands regulations in Manitoba put an end to the controversy and confusion of the past four years. “I think these changes make the system a lot more workable,” said Manitoba Beef Producers general manager Carson Callum. “The changes that happened in 2019 were against the


CME October 2023 live cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages and August 2023 live cattle (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle firm, hogs mixed

Cattle supply outlook overrides demand concerns

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures firmed on Thursday, buoyed by a round of technical support as the market remained near last week’s highs. Feeder cattle contracts also posted gains, while lean hog futures were mixed Traders said that tight supplies underpinned cattle futures prices despite demand concerns. CME August live

Livestock auction sites prepare for early reopenings

Livestock auction sites prepare for early reopenings

While not as significant as 2021, auctions are still extending their normal dates

It’s not the situation that faced Manitoba auction sites in 2021, when the summer break was cut short due to historic drought, but some sites this year will start the fall run a few weeks early. The early start is due to ongoing heat and dryness experienced for much of this summer, particularly in southwestern


Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Drought Monitor map at July 31, 2023. (AAFC)

Prairie Forecast: Cooler and unsettled

Issued Aug. 9, covering Aug. 9 to 16

First off, I must apologize for not producing an update to the last forecast; I had the opportunity to do some backwoods camping, which meant I was off the grid for about five days. I’m back now, and from the weather model runs I’ve been able to check out, this forecast period is going to

CME October 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle up on U.S. supply worries

CME lean hog futures sag

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures strengthened on Wednesday as tight U.S. supplies continued to support the market, analysts said. Feeder cattle futures also advanced, while lean hog futures declined. The live cattle market is largely trading sideways in the most-active contract this week after finishing with strong gains on Friday,


Automatic syringes in a storage unit will keep them from freezing in the winter months and overheating in the summer.

Automatic syringes a better solution

Beef 911: Retire those old guns that have done their duty, and get better results

Vaccinations are a cornerstone biosecurity practice for cow-calf operations and feedlots. It is not uncommon for two or more vaccines to be given twice a year. There has been lots written about proper vaccination techniques, vaccine storage, maintaining the chain of refrigeration and other things that affect the way these vaccines perform. I want to discuss the most important equipment

CME October 2023 live cattle with 20-, 30- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle steady to weak

Hogs mixed with demand in focus

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures were steady to weak, while hog futures were mixed on Tuesday, with the market pressured by demand concerns as the end of grilling season nears, traders said. August live cattle futures ended unchanged at 179.7 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Most-active October live cattle fell 0.525 cent,


Aerial view of Centerm, a Burrard Inlet terminal for containerized cargo at the Port of Vancouver. (Bloodua/iStock/Getty Images)

B.C. longshore workers ratify new deal

Minister pledges review of 'how disruption on this scale unfolded'

Longshore workers at British Columbia’s seaports have voted to accept the terms of a new four-year labour deal, ending five weeks of labour outages at Canada’s West Coast. Negotiators with the B.C. Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) and International Labour and Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada), working with the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), reached a new

(Geralyn Wichers photo)

Klassen: Upward momentum in feeder market eases

Feedlots seen in 'risk assessment mode'

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively unchanged. Higher-quality groups of yearling heifers appeared to trade steady to $2 higher on average while steer markets traded $3-$4 higher to $2 lower. Calf prices are unchanged from seven days earlier. The rally in deferred live cattle futures has stalled for the time