Farmer and Grainews columnist Toban Dyck inspects wheat on July 6, 2021 near Winkler, Man., where hot and dry weather has led to thin, uneven stands. (Photo: Reuters/Rod Nickel)

Saskatchewan raises salvage threshold for parched crops

Stock watering program also boosted; APAS, Tories' ag critic had called for more drought aid

Saskatchewan’s provincial crop insurance agency is raising the yield threshold at which drought-damaged crops can be grazed, baled for greenfeed or cut for silage with no penalty on future coverage. Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. said Wednesday it would double the “low yield appraisal” threshold values on cereal or pulse crop acres put to feed. SCIC

“That’s one of the challenges — on the surface, it seems like a great idea until you fully understand what it means to implement mandatory COOL.” – Fawn Jackson.

Labelling law rears its head again, but officials don’t expect its return

Some American ranchers are ‘making a lot of noise’ but odds of a return to COOL seem slim

Glacier FarmMedia – Mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) is gone, but there’s a new effort by American beef producers wanting to bring it back. “It’s still hugely on our radar,” said Alberta Beef Producers chair Melanie Wowk. “When COOL was first instituted in 2003, it was costing us about $600 million a year, so I think



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Saskatchewan ranchers backed for runoff control

Funding on offer for earth-moving work

Cow-calf producers in Saskatchewan may be able to get cost-shared funds from the federal/provincial Farm Stewardship Program to build ponds, ditches, dikes or berms to collect or manage runoff. The province and federal government on Tuesday announced such work now qualifies as a beneficial management practice (BMP) covered under the program. Eligible beef cow-calf producers


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market consolidates

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $2-$3 on either side of unchanged. In central and southern Alberta, quality yearling steers weighing 800 lbs. continue to hover at the psychological range of $200-$210; lower-flesh steers fresh off grass weighing 900 lbs. are readily quoted in the range of $185-$190. Saskatchewan values are

CME August 2021 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and dark red lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise as pork production estimates cut

Feeder cattle down on rising grain values

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures jumped on Monday as the U.S. Department of Agriculture reduced its domestic pork production estimates for this year and next year. The USDA cut its production estimates because of reduced expectations for commercial hog slaughtering in the second half of the year, according to a


A 3-D illustration of Bacillus anthracis bacteria. (Dr_Microbe/iStock/Getty Images)

Anthrax kills southeastern Saskatchewan sheep

Spores forced up by changes in soil moisture

Dramatic shifts in soil moisture are again bringing anthrax spores to the surface on the Prairies, this time in a southeastern Saskatchewan sheep pasture. Lab results on Wednesday confirmed anthrax as the cause of death of one animal in a flock of sheep in the R.M. of South Qu’Appelle, about 50 km east of Regina,



Cattle auctions slow down for summer

Cattle auctions slow down for summer

Some auctions are anticipating an early return if dry conditions continue

Entering July, some Manitoba cattle auction sites either are or will soon take their summer break. But continuing drought-like conditions may increase selling demand for cattle producers and auction sites could see their summer vacation be shorter than normal. “We had our last regular sale for the summer break here (on June 29),” said Tyler

CME August 2021 live cattle (candlesticks) with 100-day moving average (red line) and August 2021 lean hogs (pink open/high/low/close). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle ease as beef demand cools

CME lean hog futures mostly firm

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures dropped for a second day, following U.S. boxed beef prices lower as seasonal demand cools. “You’re still seeing boxed beef pull back, which is normal, seasonally,” said Matthew Wiegand, Risk Management Consultant at FuturesOne. “We’re past the Fourth of July — we don’t have a