Reading Time: 2 minutes Paris | Reuters — The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) declared Brazil free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) with vaccination on Thursday, opening new export prospects for the world’s largest beef exporter. The OIE already considered most of Brazil to be free of FMD with vaccination. The declaration, which the government had been expecting since […] Read more
OIE declares Brazil free of foot-and-mouth, with vaccination
U.S. beef packer margins soar as cattle prices fall
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. beef packers including Tyson Foods and Cargill are racking up historically high margins, thanks to slumping cattle prices amid a supply glut and as Americans turn to beef for their backyard summer barbecues. Supermarkets are stocking up on steaks, hot dogs and hamburgers for the May 26 U.S. Memorial Day […] Read more
CME amends feeder cattle futures, options rules
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — The Chicago Mercantile Exchange will amend the feeder cattle futures contract rule to include cattle identified in the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports as fancy, thin, fleshy, gaunt or full in the calculation of CME’s feeder cattle index price, the exchange said in a release Tuesday. The amendment change will be […] Read more
Klassen: Fed cattle market drops, feeder market follows
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were trading $3-$5 lower; markets for calves and feeders fit for grass were unchanged to $3 lower. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle at $242 on a dressed basis, down $20-$28 from seven days earlier. The sharp drop in the fed cattle market caused feedlot operators to […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market faces many headwinds
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged. Feedlot operators and order buyers were contending with a number of variables which resulted in a defensive tone. First, the Canadian dollar rallied late in the week, derailing any buying interest from south of the border. U.S. feeder cattle markets were also trading […] Read more
Klassen: Seasonable temperatures enhance feeder market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian yearling markets were actively trading $2-$5 above week-ago levels while prices in the Lethbridge area were up a solid $5 to as much as $10 in some cases. Improving pen conditions, along with a stronger fed cattle market, resulted in a surge of buying interest from southern Alberta operations. Orders from Feedlot Alley […] Read more
Bovine TB probe officially closed
Reading Time: 2 minutes An investigation across three provinces following the appearance of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in six Prairie cattle in 2016 has officially closed with no further cases found. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Monday reported receiving the last of the lab culture test results on about 30,000 animals tested during its probe. “All of the results […] Read more
Klassen: Export, feedlot demand drives feeders higher
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices traded $2-$4 higher while calves and lighter-weight feeders were relatively unchanged. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis from $270 to $272, up $5-$7 from week-ago levels. This firmer tone in the fed market quickly spilled over into prices for shorter-term replacements. There is […] Read more
Klassen: Spring weather revitalizes feeder market
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $4-$6 higher. Yearlings led the charge higher with quality packages selling $5 to as much as $8 above week-ago levels. The return of seasonal temperatures provided a shot of adrenaline for the feeder market. There are quite a few operations carrying minimal numbers because of […] Read more
Online cattle market AgriClear goes dark
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada’s TMX Group has pulled the plug on its AgriClear online cattle exchange after almost three years of operation. TMX, which operates the Toronto-based TSX stock exchange among other services, announced on AgriClear’s lone remaining web page that the AgriClear platform and website have been decommissioned, effective Monday (April 16). “As part of the active […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
