Reading Time: 2 minutes The cost of compliance with a California animal welfare law, which takes full effect on New Year’s Day, will likely shrink the U.S. national hog herd and lead to further consolidation, a Washington State think tank says. “No one will be spared the change in market pressures,” wrote Pam Lewison, director for the Washington Policy […] Read more
Smaller U.S. swine herd likely as Prop 12 takes effect, think tank says
Canadian pork sector concerned the animal welfare law will act as a non-tariff trade barrier
U.S. Supreme Court upholds California’s pig confinement law
Dissent suggests 'substantial burden against interstate commerce'
Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday preserved a California law banning the sale of pork in America’s most-populous state from pigs kept in tightly confined spaces, rejecting an industry challenge claiming that the voter-backed animal welfare measure impermissibly regulates out-of-state farmers. The justices voted 5-4 to uphold a lower court’s dismissal of a […] Read more
Federal funding lined up for programs, planning against swine fever
Two-year package to go toward pork industry work
Reading Time: 4 minutes The federal government is putting up an eight-figure funding wall to help prevent African swine fever from ever reaching Canada’s hog farms — and to prepare against any breach. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said Aug. 26 the government will provide up to $45.3 million toward a three-pronged effort to boost disease prevention and preparedness: pork […] Read more
North American hog markets wracked by coronavirus
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Besides shutting down entire cities and killing more than 1,000 people, China’s novel coronavirus outbreak has wreaked havoc on North America’s hog futures. “It’s a dubious relationship, but it is impacting markets,” said Tyler Fulton, risk management director for Hams Marketing Services in Winnipeg. Lean hog futures moved “in concert with drops in […] Read more
Tyson bans ractopamine from its U.S. hog supply
Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — Tyson Foods in February will stop buying U.S. hogs raised with a growth drug banned by China, the company said on Thursday, as global meat suppliers seek an edge in boosting sales to Chinese buyers facing a huge pork shortage due to an outbreak of a fatal pig disease. The halt in the […] Read more
Federal government funding $6 million to Canada Pork International
Reading Time: 2 minutes Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has announced $6 million will be invested in Canada Pork International (CPI) to focus on strengthening, diversifying and growing of Canada’s pork exports. It will help to boost the awareness of the industry in the priority international markets. Why it matters: A halt to exports to China has made finding other […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hogs rally on hopes for increased exports to China
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures charged higher on Wednesday, with the May contract surging 5.4 per cent, on hopes for a trade deal with China that would boost exports to the world’s largest consumer of pork. “U.S.-China trade talks restart in D.C. today and most accounts have those negotiations going […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures mixed, cattle futures firm
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures were mixed on Monday, with the front-month contract firming slightly after two straight days of declines while deferreds continued to ease. Traders said that fresh pork exports to China were required to ease the burdensome supplies and boost hog futures higher. “Even though we […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hogs tumble after Trump threatens Mexico border closure
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures ended down sharply for a second straight day on Friday after a volatile session in which traders weighed thinner near-term hog supplies against risks to pork exports with Mexico. Early-session strength stemmed from a quarterly U.S. Department of Agriculture hog supply report, released after […] Read more
U.S. pork, fruit producers brace for second wave of Chinese tariffs
Reading Time: 3 minutes Beijing/Chicago | Reuters — U.S. producers of pork, already saddled with duties enacted in an earlier round of the escalating trade dispute with China, are bracing for further pain after Beijing hit the products with additional tariffs due to come into effect next month. China implemented a 25 per cent duty on most U.S. pork […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
