Chicago live cattle futures set new record highs today, supported by the highest beef prices in more than seven years. Feeder cattle futures and hog futures also rose. The April cattle contract peaked at 116.9 US cents per pound, the highest ever for a lead month cattle futures contract. Market watchers believe the strong prices […] Read more
Daily news
Live cattle futures post record high
Alta. introduces cow-calf insurance
Alberta cow-calf producers have a new insurance option to guard against price risk. Alberta Agriculture released details of the Cattle Price Insurance Program for calves (CPIP-Calf) this week. It is the third cattle insurance program developed and implemented by the department. The other two programs insure price risk for fed and feeder cattle. “We can […] Read more
Pork industry pushes Ottawa on South Korean trade deal
Canada’s hog and meat packing sectors are pleading with the Conservative government to relaunch stalled free trade talks with South Korea. Talks started in 2004 and ended in March 2008 after 13 sessions. The government has been under pressure from some sectors to not rush a deal that does not meet their needs. Automobile manufacturers […] Read more
Crop prices fall on worries about economic slowdown
Crop prices fell again on Tuesday as investors worried unrest in oil-rich countries causing high oil prices could derail global economic growth. Oilseeds were also pressured by expectations of a bumper crop in Brazil and a better than expected crop in Argentina. Also, oilseeds were under pressure because traders believe the U.S. Department will increase […] Read more
Soaring crude pressures crop prices lower
Worries on Monday that surging crude oil prices will slow the global economy pressured crop prices lower, including canola. The increase in violence in Libya’s revolution had traders on edge and equity markets also fell. Early in the day, May canola broke through $600 per tonne, supported by strong palm oil prices overnight that were […] Read more
Swine board to issue health bulletins
Bulletins alerting Canada’s hog producers to various hog disease risks are now being distributed by the Canadian Swine Health Board.The first in the series, which was announced March 4, deals with vesicular diseases, several of which have identical symptoms in hogs. Blisters caused by these viruses can be a sign of foot-and-mouth disease.“Keeping the industry […] Read more
Export talk and seeding concerns lift canola market
Canola climbed slightly higher on Friday and the March contract posted an $18.60 per tonne gain from the previous week’s close. The market is caught between forecasts for big seeded acreage gains and the outlook for a muddy seeding season that will frustrate farmers’ efforts. Canola prices climbed today on unconfirmed reports of new export […] Read more
Alberta dairy cow confirmed with BSE
A six-year-old dairy cow from Alberta has been confirmed with BSE, the country’s 18 case of the fatal brain wasting disease. It’s the first confirmed case of BSE in Canada in almost a year and was confirmed Feb. 18 through the country’s national BSE surveillance system. Officials with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the […] Read more
Commodity Classic update
TAMPA BAY, Fla. – The following is a collection of news tidbits from the Commodity Classic, an annual gathering of U.S. corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum growers. This year’s convention drew 4,743 people. Look for more detailed stories on these subjects in upcoming issues of The Western Producer. Winter wheat crop damaged There is little […] Read more
Domtar sells Sask. pulp mill
The shuttered Prince Albert Pulp Mill, once considered by Iogen for an ethanol plant, has been sold. Paper Excellence has purchased the building from Domtar and will convert it to produce dissolving pulp used in a variety of products, such as rayon. The company intends to invest more than $200 million in the conversion, which […] Read more
