(Gloria Solano-Aguilar photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Pork market looks to improve by spring

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada — Canadian pork prices are feeling a modest bump upward as healthy U.S. exports clean up some excess North American pork supplies. Canadian slaughter-weight prices hit their lows in November and December — and since then, they have increased about 30 per cent, according to Brad Marceniuk, a livestock economist for Saskatchewan’s agriculture […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Buyers risk-averse on feeder cattle

Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were trading $5-$10 below values seven days earlier. Sharper declines were noted on heavier replacements over 800 lbs., which at times sold for $15 below week-ago levels; quality mid-weight feeders in the range of 600 to 800 lbs. were down $8 on average. Eastern Prairie markets held value on feeders […] Read more



(RBAuction.com)

Ritchie Bros. buys Mascus online equipment sites

Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian operators of the world’s biggest equipment auctioneer have bought worldwide online equipment listing service Mascus. Burnaby, B.C.-based Ritchie Bros. announced Friday it has bought 100 per cent of the equity in Amsterdam-based Mascus for 24 million euros (C$36.8 million), plus up to 3.4 million euros (C$5.2 million) more, pending certain performance targets being […] Read more


(Gov.sk.ca)

Saskatchewan to halt winter weights early in southwest

Reading Time: < 1 minute Weight allowances that let heavier grain trucks roll on more southwestern Saskatchewan highways over the winter will end a week early, thanks to recent mild weather. The province’s highways ministry announced Friday it will remove the winter weight allowances on secondary-weight highways in the southwest region effective Monday (Feb. 22). “While frozen roads provide a […] Read more

(PortoDoItaqui.ma.gov.br)

Smaller vessels bump up ocean freight index

Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — The Baltic Exchange’s main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, marginally rose on Friday on improved rates for smaller vessels. The overall Baltic Dry Index (BDI), which gauges the cost of shipping resources including iron ore, cement, grain, coal and fertilizer, rose for the sixth consecutive session by […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Farm incomes set to fall from record high

Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Canadian farm incomes look set to fall in 2016 after a year of record profits, but will still reach above-average levels, according to a report from the federal government. Rising receipts for crops and livestock have boosted incomes in recent years, due to greater demand in developing countries and a weak Canadian dollar, […] Read more



(Dave Bedard photo)

Cargill to stop selling seed, inputs in Black Sea region

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– Cargill will stop selling seeds, fertilizer and crop chemicals to farmers in the Black Sea region, as the global trader continues to cut back operations in the face of sliding commodity prices. The 150-year old company, one of the world’s largest privately held corporations, is in the middle of a restructuring […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Lower fed cattle market pressures feeders

Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were trading $5-$10 below week-ago levels on average last week. Fully weaned vaccinated calves were trading down $5-$8 while semi-weaned bawlers were down a solid $10. Shorter-keep replacements over 850 lbs. were down $8-$12 depending on flesh levels but harder-looking cattle were down sharply, as much as $15. Extremely cold […] Read more