What does a wizard have to do with cattle prices? Nothing really, but it would seem that there are some zany factors at play in cattle production where somehow cattle prices are climbing even as feed costs are dropping. Is it magic? Not quite, says Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange, but prices are… Read More
Category: Livestock
Reports of at least one hay shed fire in Ontario this week should serve as an alert to other farmers who took advantage of the dry, hot week in late May to put up dry hay. As Christine O’Reilly, Ontario’s forage and grazing specialist, tweeted out on June 5, hay that was put up “dry”… Read More
Cattle producers have reasons to smile right now, as strong prices and strong demand paints a rosy picture for the short-term. Hog producers, however, aren’t so lucky as prices dip. At the same time, grocery bills are rising and consumers have tough choices to make on protein — will they keep buying beef, even at… Read More
A biosecurity and animal disease prevention company based at Guelph, Ontario has announced it’s merging with a U.S.-based company that has developed a facial recognition entry system for barns. Farm Health Guardian Ltd. and NoveTechnologies, LLC (NoveTech) say they have combined forces as of June 5, 2023, and will operate under the Farm Health Guardian… Read More
There are still plenty of unknowns surrounding the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak that has killed millions of chickens and turkeys on farms across North America going back to early 2022, but a drop in the number of new cases in the month of May is a positive sign for the poultry sector. The… Read More
Ontario-based Dairy Distillery has already proved you can make amazing things from a “waste” product, through its creation of Vodkow vodka using milk permeate. Now, the company is partnering with the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) to create a milk-made biofuel. Currently, MMPA runs a facility that produces 14,000 tonnes of permeate per year that’s… Read More
A new report commissioned by the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) and the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation (SSGF) looks at the differences in profitability between cow-calf and annual crop production in southwest Saskatchewan. Over a 50 year time period, the returns from grain farming are $508/acre higher than cow-calf production, according to the research modelling… Read More
A super thin plastic that creates an effective oxygen barrier for improving aerobic stability of any kind of silage is the promise of Germany-based silage specialists, Bock Silosysteme. Earlier this year, company representatives travelled to the annual dairy showcase Canadian Dairy XPO at Stratford, Ont., to share the product with farmers. Bock was one of… Read More
The international agricultural landscape is witnessing a troubling trend towards protectionism. In past eras, protectionism was enabled through prohibitive tariffs that blocked trade. World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations and bilateral trade agreements have largely eliminated tariffs from the protectionists’ toolbox, but, as evidenced by recent events, there are other ways in which trade can be… Read More
Cattle markets have held their own over the last week, with prime grilling season underway heading into the Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. and Father’s Day around the corner. U.S. cattle prices this week ranged from one to three dollars higher, from south to north, explains Anne Wasko of the Gateway Livestock Exchange in… Read More
The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is welcoming the announcement that Taiwan is restoring full market access for Canadian beef in the coming weeks. Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Mary Ng, shared the news in a tweet late Thursday, while attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Detroit. “Cattle producers are pleased to learn… Read More
Olymel says it has “made the difficult decision” to reduce its hog operations in Western Canada due to continued financial losses and uncertainty in pork markets. Approximately 80 employees at five sow facilities in Alberta (Smoky Sow/Dev, Pinnacle 1, Pinnacle 2, Dynacrest 1 and Dynacrest 2) and one farm in Saskatchewan (Kelsey) have been given… Read More
The Beef Cattle Research Council has announced twelve recipients of $2 million in beef check-off funds following its 2022/2023 call for research proposals. The check-off money is being used to leverage over $4 million in matching funding from government and other partners. “We are able to leverage producer dollars from the Canadian Beef Cattle Check-Off… Read More
The road back to profitability for the pork sector is likely long and difficult as Canadian producers continue to face a troublesome combination of declining domestic demand, fewer opportunities in export markets, and the spectre of tougher U.S. animal welfare regulations that could drive prices lower. It all adds up to tough times for pork… Read More
With California on an aggressive timeline to implement the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative — more commonly known as Prop 12 — requirements by July 1, 2023 the United States pork industry is still reeling with questions regarding the details of verification, logistics, and supply. Last week, we heard from the Canadian Pork Council on concerns… Read More