File photo of marbled Japanese beef on display at retail. (ES3N/iStock/Getty Images)

Japan set to grant TPP-level access for U.S. beef, pork

Reading Time: 2 minutes Tokyo | Reuters — The United States and Japan have reached the broad framework of a trade agreement, Japan’s Nikkei business daily said on Saturday, with Tokyo making concessions on its agriculture but none immediately apparent from Washington on automobiles. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi reached the deal in Washington […] Read more



U.S. livestock: Cattle extend climb on robust packer margins

U.S. livestock: Cattle extend climb on robust packer margins

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures advanced for a fourth straight session on Thursday, led by the nearby August contract as robust profit margins for beef packers fueled expectations of strong demand for cash cattle, traders said. “Packers are just raking it in, so the incentive is there to ramp up […] Read more

Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau addresses the 2019 Dairy Farmers of Canada AGM in Saskatoon in July. (Photo courtesy AAFC)

Future payouts from dairy fund still up for discussion

Reading Time: 2 minutes What happens to the rest of Canada’s eight-year, $1.75 billion funding envelope to compensate its dairy farmers for other countries’ gains in market access is still up for discussion, according to the federal ag minister. In a statement Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said Ottawa gets that Canadian dairy farmers want more direct payments beyond […] Read more



U.S. livestock: CME live cattle climb on wholesale beef demand

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle climb on wholesale beef demand

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Tuesday for a second session, supported by strong wholesale beef demand ahead of the Labour Day holiday weekend, analysts said. Retailers are stocking their meat cases this week ahead of the Labour Day holiday on Sept. 2, while a Tyson Foods slaughterhouse […] Read more



Elanco Animal Health CEO Jeff Simmons speaks during an interview at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Sept. 20, 2018. (Photo: Reuters/Brendan McDermid)

Elanco to become No. 2 in animal health with Bayer deal

Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — Elanco Animal Health agreed to buy Bayer’s veterinary drugs unit on Tuesday in a cash and stock deal valued at US$7.6 billion (C$10 billion), creating the second largest maker of medicines for livestock and pets and expanding Elanco’s reach online. The deal is the latest in the fast-growing animal health market, which has […] Read more


U.S. livestock: Cattle futures up on larger-than-expected weekly slaughter

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures up on larger-than-expected weekly slaughter

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Monday after U.S. government data showed last week’s slaughter was bigger than the previous week’s, despite a fire that shuttered a Kansas beef plant. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated the weekly U.S. cattle slaughter through Saturday at 651,000 head, up from […] Read more

File photo of a hog cooling off in a pond in the Philippines. (Stewart Hall/iStock/Getty Images)

Philippines checks for swine fever as pig deaths rise

Reading Time: 2 minutes Manila | Reuters — The Philippines has set up a crisis management team to determine if the deadly African swine fever virus has reached the country after officials detected a rise in pig deaths in some areas. The Bureau of Animal Industry had reported an increased mortality of pigs “raised by farmers in their backyards” […] Read more