Reading Time: 2 minutes Quebec’s new governing party has turned to one of its more experienced MNAs to handle the farm file. Premier Francois Legault on Thursday named Andre Lamontagne, a businessman and former supermarket owner and the MNA for the southwestern riding of Johnson, as his minister of agriculture, fisheries and food, and as minister responsible for the […] Read more
CAQ taps businessman as Quebec’s new ag minister
China culls 200,000 pigs due to African swine fever – official
Reading Time: < 1 minute China | Reuters – China, the world’s top pork producer, has culled 200,000 pigs so far following outbreaks of highly contagious African swine fever in the country, a Chinese animal health official said on Friday. While that represents only a tiny portion of the nearly 700 million pigs slaughtered in China each year for sale as pork, restrictions […] Read more
Fearful of swine fever, France to put up fence on Belgian border
Reading Time: < 1 minute Strasbourg, France | Reuters — France will put up fencing along its border with Belgium to prevent wild boars spreading African swine fever, a virulent livestock disease that could disrupt Europe’s pig industry. France has been on alert for African swine fever since Belgium detected the virus last month among wild boars a few kilometres […] Read more
Maple Leaf to buy Quebec pepperoni processor
Reading Time: 2 minutes Meat processor Maple Leaf Foods plans to boost its space in the pepperoni and dry-cured meats market with a deal for Montreal-based Viau Foods. Toronto-based Maple Leaf announced Tuesday it will pay $215 million, including $30 million in Maple Leaf shares, for Viau, which today bills itself as “Canada’s most important independent producer of pepperoni.” […] Read more
Hog producers continue struggle toward profitability
Reading Time: 4 minutes CNS Canada — Hog prices might have regained some value in recent days, but many producers are still a long way from profitability, according to the chair of Manitoba Pork. That’s why lenders such as Farm Credit Canada, who show they understand the needs of producers who are dependent on commodity markets, are appreciated, said […] Read more
Canadian hog prices on rebound
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Improving trade relations and the emergence of swine fever in China have made their presence felt on the Canadian hog market. Weekly signature No. 5 base slaughter weight cash hog prices averaged $117.83 per 100 kg as of Friday, up by roughly $15 over the past two weeks. Those numbers are a […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures down for 3rd day
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters – U.S. live cattle futures fell Friday for a third straight session, with the benchmark CME October contract notching a six-week low on disappointing cash cattle values, traders said. Slaughter-ready cattle traded Thursday at $109 per cwt in Texas and Kansas, down from $109 to $110.50 last week. Some traders had been […] Read more
China culls more pigs as authorities race to trace African swine fever source
Reading Time: 2 minutes Beijing | Reuters – China is culling over 1,300 pigs as authorities rush to control a fourth outbreak of African swine fever and try to trace the origins of the virus that first struck the world’s largest hog herd three weeks ago. Authorities in the eastern province of Zhejiang said they would slaughter 1,332 hogs […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures decline after weaker cash trade
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters – U.S. live cattle futures declined on Thursday after cash cattle traded in Kansas and Texas at mostly lower prices than a week ago, traders said. CME Group feeder cattle futures edged higher while lean hog futures ended mixed, with the nearby October contract down more than 2 cents per cwt, or […] Read more
Trade uncertainty weighs on Manitoba pork prices
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada –– An ongoing trade battle between China and the U.S., along with general uncertainty in global trade, is starting to put a damper on Manitoba pork prices. In Canada, the formula price used by domestic farmers is based on the national base price in the U.S. That price is determined by a formula […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
