The Canadian Pork Council has published a study outlining not only what Canadian hog producers stand to gain from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but more significantly, what the Canadian hog sector would lose if Canada isn’t part of the multi-lateral trade deal. While the TPP negotiations currently include 12 countries, for Canadian hog producers, the deal… Read more »
Category: Pork
Big Change? Or Little Change? — Walmart Lays Out Farm Animal Welfare and Antibiotic Policies
North America’s largest food retailer, Walmart, unveiled its positions on animal welfare and the use of antibiotics in farm animals on Friday. Strangely enough, farm groups and animal rights organizations alike applauded the company’s animal care guidelines. While both sides are welcoming Walmart’s positions, if you dig a bit deeper, there are conflicting views on what the implications… Read more »
Premier Wynne Suggests Canada Should Give the U.S. More Time to Fix COOL — Say What?
When Canada’s agriculture and trade ministers — as everybody expected following the World Trade Organization’s latest ruling against U.S. country of origin labeling — promised to retaliate unless the labeling rules are repealed, virtually all Canadian livestock producer groups and provincial governments who benefit from cross-border cattle and hog trade applauded the federal government’s swift action. With one… Read more »
How Will Washington React to the WTO’s Final Word on COOL?
Update on May 20th: The U.S. House Agriculture Committee, as expected, approved Chair Michael Conoway’s bill to repeal COOL on Wednesday morning by a vote of 38-6. It’s expected the entire House will vote on it in early June. The final ruling from the World Trade Organization against U.S. mandatory country of origin labeling and the threat… Read more »
WTO Rules Against U.S. COOL for Fourth and Final Time — Canada Seeking Permission to Retaliate
The World Trade Organization has once again sided with Canada and Mexico, as the WTO Appellate Body published a fourth and final ruling on U.S. country of origin labeling rules today. The appeal panel decision affirmed earlier rulings saying COOL illegally discriminates against foreign livestock (read the report and findings here). “The United States has used and… Read more »
Could Manitoba Support a Soybean Crush Facility? New Report Says “Yes”
Southern Manitoba has the right combination of soybean production and soybean meal demand to support a 2,000 tonne per day soybean crushing facility, according to a new report funded by the Canada and Manitoba governments and soybean industry partners. Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers partnered with Soy 20/20 to organize and co-fund the study, which was… Read more »
A COOL Refresher — Fourth and Final WTO Ruling To Come Within Days
A fourth and final decision from the World Trade Organization on U.S. mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) rules will be announced in the next few days. The WTO has said its decision on the Americans’ latest appeal to maintain COOL will be shared with members no later than May 18th. Another ruling in Canada and Mexico’s favour would… Read more »
USDA Finds Little, if any, Economic Benefit From COOL
Just weeks before the World Trade Organization rules on the U.S. government’s final appeal to maintain mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) rules, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a report to the House and Senate agriculture committees on Friday saying the meat labeling laws have little, if any, measurable economic benefit. The USDA’s economic analysis of… Read more »
Pig Prices Have Plummeted — Why is Bacon Still Expensive?
Remember last year, when hog prices spiked and concerns about high bacon prices hit headlines in the mainstream news? For pig producers and processors, those days are distant history, as the North American pork market has since undergone a major reversal. Not wanting to expose consumers to volatility, grocery stores generally lag behind the hog market in moving prices higher (and… Read more »
Alltech to Acquire Ridley for $521 Million
Two major players in the livestock health and nutrition business could soon be on the same team, as Alltech has entered an agreement to acquire Ridley Inc. for C$521 million. “This transformative transaction that combines two industry leaders allows Alltech to deliver better performance and value to livestock and poultry producers across the globe,” said Dr…. Read more »
Pigs and People Needed — 175 New Barns Required to Supply Maple Leaf Plant in Brandon, says Michael McCain
Years of financial and regulatory challenges have taken a toll on pork production in Manitoba, to the point where the province’s largest hog processing facility now needs around 175 new barns built to operate at full capacity, according to the company’s president and CEO. Speaking at the Manitoba Pork Council annual meeting in Winnipeg on… Read more »
Prairie Cash Market for Corn Detached From U.S. Futures
A shortage of low-fusarium feed wheat and the decreased value of the Canadian dollar are supporting the cash price for corn on the eastern side of the prairies. Old crop Chicago futures have been trading in the US$3.65 to US$3.95 range since early January, while cash bids in southern Manitoba have risen to between C$4.50 and C$5 bushel…. Read more »
Lower Loonie and Cheap(ish) Feed Saving Canadian Hog Producers’ Bacon
North American hog prices have tumbled dramatically from the record highs seen last summer, pushed by a reduced impact from disease, a growing breeding herd and lagging U.S. pork exports. “It’s amazing how quickly things can change, but it does accent how high we were last year as well,” says Tyler Fulton, director of risk management… Read more »
Drawing the Line for Feed Mill Licensing
Feed companies, farmers and other stakeholders in the feed industry in Western Canada have until April 9th to share their thoughts on the proposed mandatory licensing of feed mills with the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC.) So why is the CGC looking at licensing feed mills? In 2012, two major hog producers — Puratone and Big… Read more »
U.S. Makes Final Argument for COOL at WTO, and Korea Suspends Canadian Beef Imports — Beef Update With John Masswohl
Officials from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. were in Geneva this week for World Trade Organization appeal hearings on U.S. country of origin labelling (COOL) law. In the podcast below, John Masswohl of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and Kelvin Heppner discuss what happens next in the dragged-out COOL dispute resolution process, including when Canada could be in… Read more »