COOL blunts U. S. packers’ need for cattle

“They’re going to need cattle but COOL is standing in the way.” – Kevin Grier, George Morris Centre The U. S. is feeding fewer beef cattle but country-of-origin labelling will likely restrict opportunities for Canadian cattle exports. Uncertainty over COOL will override the U. S. industry’s need to make up for a shortfall of cattle

Mexico bans six U. S. meat plants

Mexico said Oct. 13 it had banned imports from six U. S. meat-processing plants, just weeks after U. S. Department of Agriculture officials shut down exports from some Mexican meat producers. Mexican sanitary officials from the Agriculture Ministry conducted inspections in the United States and at the end of last week said six plants were


Cargill posts healthy profit

Cargill Inc. posted a 62 per cent rise in quarterly earnings Oct. 13, led largely by its industrial business. Cargill, one of the world’s largest private corporations, said earnings rose to $1.49 billion in the first quarter ended Aug. 31 from $917 million a year earlier. “Cargill realized a strong start to our new fiscal

Changes sought to CBOT wheat contract

Big global grain buyers have told U. S. regulators that the Chicago Board of Trade needs to improve on a plan to narrow a gap between wheat futures and cash prices that has hurt their ability to hedge big price swings. Major grain companies that questioned the CBOT plan included Cargill Inc. and Bunge Ltd.