The United States has become a net beef exporter, and imports are lower. Here, cattle rest in a field on a farm near Peosta, Iowa, last summer.  |  REUTERS/Joshua Lott photo

Healthy exports support booming American cattle sector

Expansion is slowing, but the herd is likely to increase slightly this year with peak numbers expected in 2020-21

NEW ORLEANS, La. — The U.S. cow herd expansion is slowing, but a healthy economy and growing exports keep demand strong. There is a record amount of beef, pork and poultry that relies on exports to chew through. The American population is growing at a rate of less than one percent, and even though per […] Read more

Weaker dollar, cold weather, holds canola

Winnipeg – ICE Futures canola contracts saw some wide price swings on Thursday before settling within a dollar of either side of unchanged. Weakness in the Canadian dollar was a major supportive influence, as the currency fell by another half of a cent relative to its United States counterpart and crush margins widened. A lack […] Read more

China has been making canola sales harder, trader says

Canada’s increased difficulty exporting the crop to the Asian giant is linked to political tensions over the Huawei issue

Canada’s dispute with China over the detention of a Huawei executive is hurting canola sales to its top market, says a trader. “It is definitely impacting our demand scenario into there, for sure,” said the Canadian canola trader who did not want to be identified. Not much canola is being sold April forward, and product […] Read more


U.S. opens a whiskey door for buckwheat

New regulations will allow distilled spirits using buckwheat, quinoa and amaranth to be officially called whiskey

A new market could soon be materializing for buckwheat. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has published proposed new rules to modernize the labelling and advertising regulations for wine, distilled spirits and malt beverages. The 132-page document includes one paragraph proposing to define the term “grain” used to make distilled […] Read more

Navel gazing important for surviving survivorship bias

Today’s farmers are great at surviving. That’s obviously true because any who are still farming today have survived horrendous weather wrecks, endured appalling market slumps and held on through the endless beat-down economics of bulk commodity production. They’ve done some things right — and maybe they’ve had some luck. But that survival brings its own […] Read more


Canfax report

This cattle market information is selected from the weekly report from Canfax, a division of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. More market information, analysis and statistics are available by becoming a Canfax subscriber by calling 403-275-5110 or at www.canfax.ca. Steer price down Weighted average steer prices closed last week $4.86 per hundredweight lower, the lowest point […] Read more

WP livestock report

Hogs The U.S. national live price average for barrows and gilts was US$39.80 per hundredweight Feb. 1, up from $39.36 Jan. 25. U.S. hogs averaged $50.38 on a carcass basis Feb. 1, up from $51.32 Jan. 25. The U.S. pork cutout was $66.99 per cwt. Feb. 1, down from $67.67 Jan. 25. The estimated U.S. […] Read more

ICE Futures canola contracts held within a narrow trading range during the week ended Feb. 6, as participants await some fresh market moving news. | File photo

ICE Canola Weekly Outlook: Farmers advised to price some new crop

Winnipeg – ICE Futures canola contracts held within a narrow trading range during the week ended Feb. 6, as participants await some fresh market moving news. While the sideways trading range could persist in the near term, an analyst said new crop futures were at decent levels and encouraged farmers to do some forward pricing. […] Read more


Canola stronger, but wheat drops

Winnipeg – ICE Futures canola contracts were stronger on Wednesday, as improving crush margins and chart-based speculative buying provided support. Chicago Board of Trade soyoil futures were up sharply on the day, while the Canadian dollar fell below 76 U.S. cents. Crush margins were supported as a result, which underpinned the canola market. However, the […] Read more

Pending the release of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports on Feb. 8, trading on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) has remained quiet, according to one broker, who was cautious about U.S. soybean sales to China. | File photo

Quiet markets waiting for USDA reports, sales to China

WINNIPEG – Pending the release of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports on Feb. 8, trading on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) has remained quiet, according to one broker, who was cautious about U.S. soybean sales to China. Following the 35-day partial U.S. government shutdown that ended on Jan. 25, the USDA will […] Read more