CME June 2023 lean hogs with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog, cattle futures fall on poor fundamental outlook

Corn prices expected to remain weak

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures fell on Wednesday, as poor demand for pork smothered any bargain-buying attempts to pull prices away from contract lows hit earlier this week. Cattle contracts also were lower, but the declines were kept in check by expectations that corn prices will remain weak and keep feeding


ICE July 2023 canola with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola showing independent strength

Prairie weather uncertainty supportive

MarketsFarm — ICE Futures’ canola market saw some independent strength relative to other oilseeds during the week ended Wednesday, as speculative positioning and the need to ration tight old-crop supplies provided support. Canadian canola stocks as of March 31 were pegged at 5.95 million tonnes by Statistics Canada in a report released Tuesday. That was

(Andreswd/iStock/Getty Images)

Feds lock in higher interest-free portion on cash advances

Budget boost in effect as of Monday

A further temporary increase to the interest-free chunk of cash advances available to Canadian farmers, as telegraphed in March’s federal budget, has now gone live. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau confirmed Wednesday that the interest-free limit under the Advance Payments Program (APP) for the 2023 program year is now $350,000, effective Monday (May 8). The regulatory


Photo: Canada Beef Inc.

Klassen: Feeder market remains firm on fed cattle strength

Alberta's disastrous wildfires may disrupt calf marketings

Compared to last week, western Canadian prices for yearlings over 800 lbs. were quoted steady to $4 higher; feeders between 600-800 lbs. were relatively unchanged while calves under 600 lbs. were $5-$10 higher. The market for calves under 600 lbs. was hard to define due to limited volumes. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on

Photo: Thinkstock

Indonesia confirms African swine fever outbreak

Disease killed over 35,000 hogs on farm

Paris | Reuters — Indonesia has reported an outbreak of African swine fever on a farm on the Riau Islands near Singapore, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Tuesday. The outbreak that killed 35,297 pigs in a herd of 285,034 on a farm located on Bulan island was detected on April 1


(Dave Bedard photo)

Latest StatCan stocks report ‘least important of them all’

Wheat, canola numbers not expected to have significant impact on markets

MarketsFarm — For MarketsFarm Pro analyst Mike Jubinville, there was little in the latest Statistics Canada (StatCan) grain stocks report that would budge the markets. “When I look at the run of StatCan reports that we get through the year, whether they’re acreage, production or ending stocks, this report in May is the least important

A macrophage (immune response) cell in early stages of infection with African swine fever virus, magnified about 1,000x. (Keith Weller photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

MPs get assurance on Canada’s biosecurity preparedness

Canada well prepared for foreign animal diseases, officials say

Officials from several federal agencies have reassured the public about Canada’s animal biosecurity preparedness. Witnesses from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) spoke to MPs’ concerns about livestock diseases at a committee meeting last Wednesday afternoon. Biosecurity preparedness has been a relevant issue


Lentils. (Seb_ra/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: StatCan report likely won’t affect prices

Canada 'not the market maker' on peas, lentils

MarketsFarm — Statistics Canada (StatCan) on Tuesday released its report on grain stocks at March 31, with MarketsFarm Pro analyst Mike Jubinville suggesting there’s not much to the report. “It’s one of those [reports] where people look at it and move on,” he said. StatCan’s report pegged total farm and commercial stocks of chickpeas at