

USDA unveils more COVID-19 aid, mostly for livestock farmers
Funds earmarked for farmers under contract
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Friday it will pay an additional US$2.3 billion in COVID-19 aid to farmers, directing more money to livestock producers suffering from disruptions in slaughtering and restaurant demand for meat. The aid, which comes from money allocated to USDA from previous pandemic stimulus legislation, follows

U.S. livestock: Hog, cattle futures rise on bargain buying
Chicago | Reuters — CME live cattle futures rose on Friday on some bargain buying but still posted their first weekly loss in five weeks, traders said. Bargain buying also supported hog futures, which had posted lower closes in seven of the previous eight sessions. Signs of weakness in the cash markets kept a lid
Germany finds more African swine fever in wild boar, cases reach 480
The number of African swine fever (ASF) cases found in wild boar in Germany has now reached 480, Germany’s Agriculture Ministry said on January 8, continuing an outbreak of the disease among wild animals which halted German pork exports to Asia. The cases have occurred since the first outbreak in September 2020 and were in

Canada consulting at home toward Indonesia trade deal
Possibility of broader Southeast Asian pact also looms
Continuing to seek out free trade deals in the Asia-Pacific region, Canada has launched public consultations on the merits of a potential bilateral pact with Indonesia. “Deepening trade ties with Indonesia would benefit Canadian businesses of all sizes and lead to economic growth and prosperity for years to come,” International Trade Minister Mary Ng said

EU farmers could get cash to curb emissions from belching livestock
Brussels | Reuters — Farmers should get European Union funding to reduce methane emissions from livestock or increase organic farmland, the European Commission said on Thursday, under plans to make agriculture greener. The EU is nearing the end of a two-year battle to overhaul its massive farming subsidies scheme, to attempt to align the agriculture

Feed weekly outlook: Barley market’s eye on exports, corn prices
MarketsFarm — Strong export demand for Canadian barley and rising corn prices in the U.S. are expected to continue to keep feed prices well supported in Western Canada. “Feed grains are being squeezed by lower imports of U.S. corn into Western Canada,” analyst Chuck Penner of Leftfield Commodity Research said in a presentation Tuesday for

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures fall as corn rises
U.S. beef, pork export sales both up on week
Chicago | Reuters — CME feeder cattle futures fell on Thursday, retreating back toward a three-month low on prospects for increased input costs for livestock operators due to surging corn prices. “It is the rising feed costs,” said Alan Brugler, president of Brugler Marketing + Management. “With the corn being up another 10 cents today,

U.S. livestock: Hog, live cattle futures mixed on feed cost concerns
Bargain buying lifts March feeders
Chicago | Reuters — Nearby U.S. hog and live cattle futures weakened on Wednesday, weighed down by prospects for rising feed costs due to higher prices for corn, soybeans and wheat. But the livestock futures market was strong for many deferred contracts as traders expressed concerns about supplies tightening by the end of the year.

U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures rise as corn surge seen squeezing supply
Cash prices pressure nearby live cattle futures
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures firmed Tuesday on higher cash hog prices and improving pork packer margins and as soaring feed costs stoked concerns about tighter hog supplies. Corn futures prices surged more than five per cent on Tuesday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) slashed its 2020 harvest estimate, with

Taiwan lawmakers approve imports of additive-fed U.S. pork
Taiwan’s parliament has approved measures that pave the way for imports of U.S. pork containing a leanness-enhancing additive, despite objections by the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party which says the move is a health risk. President Tsai Ing-wen’s decision in August to permit imports of U.S. pork containing ractopamine, banned in the European Union and
With roots going back to 1925, each weekly issue of the Manitoba Co-operator contains production, marketing and policy news selected for relevance to crops and livestock producers in Manitoba.