Reading Time: < 1 minute Ranchers and farmers in two southeastern Alberta municipalities hit by wildfire in mid-October may soon be able to apply for interest-free rebuilding loans. The province’s Agriculture Financial Services Corp. (AFSC) on Wednesday announced loan applications will be available Jan. 8 for eligible producers in Cypress County and the MD of Acadia. Applications under the Hilda […] Read more
Loans pledged for wildfire-damaged Alberta farms
U.S. feedlot cattle placements bigger than expected
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Ranchers drove 13.9 per cent more cattle into U.S. feedlots in November than the same time a year ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Friday. The result exceeded the high end of the range of analysts’ forecasts, partly fueled by low feed prices in the wake of this fall’s […] Read more
Bovine TB probe’s on-farm testing work complete
Reading Time: 2 minutes On-farm testing work has wrapped on all the cattle herds that supplied animals in the past five years to an Alberta herd that turned up six cases of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in the fall of 2016. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported Tuesday it has completed on-farm testing of those “trace-in” herds, which include […] Read more
Klassen: Stronger fed cattle market underpins feeder complex
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta fed cattle prices surged $11-$12 this past week, with packers buying fed cattle in the range of $262-$264 on a dressed basis. While most feedlot operations are carrying sufficient numbers at this time of year, quality packages of heavier replacements were extremely precious. Yearlings and calves above 850 lbs. sold steady to $5 above […] Read more
Wendy’s to reduce antibiotic use in beef supply
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Hamburger chain Wendy’s Co. laid out plans on Friday to trim the use of antibiotics that are important to human medicine from its beef supply, the latest step by a food company to fight concerns about resistance to the drugs in people. Starting in 2018, the company will buy about 15 […] Read more
No prison for Saskatchewan rancher over stolen farm equipment
Reading Time: 2 minutes A western Saskatchewan rancher who pleaded guilty in August to charges over the discovery last year of missing tractors, balers and other farm equipment will serve time outside the prison system, Saskatoon media reported Friday. Iain Stables, now 40, was sentenced Friday in Provincial Court in Saskatoon to a conditional term of two years less […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market falters
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3 to as much as $6 lower. Alberta feeder cattle prices appeared to move in line with major U.S. markets, which were also down $3-$5 from week-ago levels; however, minimal slippage was noted in eastern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Weakness in deferred live and feeder cattle […] Read more
JBS says listing of U.S. unit remains priority
Reading Time: 2 minutes Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA said listing a subsidiary in the U.S. remained a priority, even as two controlling shareholders in the company remain in jail for insider trading and their role in a corruption scandal. The long-planned initial public offering of its processed food subsidiary JBS Foods International BV was […] Read more
Klassen: Tight margins weigh on feeder cattle
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices traded $5 higher to $5 lower; however, yearlings were a solid $2 to $4 lower. Negative feeding margins over the past month, along with weakness in the deferred live cattle futures, set a negative tone in the heavier weight classes. The calf market appears to be […] Read more
China to accept Canadian chilled beef, pork in pilot project
Reading Time: 2 minutes Exporters of Canadian beef and pork are set to get expanded access to the “massive” Chinese market through a new bilateral pilot project. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday announced a series of joint initiatives and agreements in several fields including “a pilot project for the export of Canadian chilled […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
