The Alberta Cattle Feeders' Association (ACFA) met last week at the Alberta Beef Industry Conference for their Annual General Meeting, where a resounding 75 percent of the membership voted in favour of pursuing an agreement that is being called the "New Era Beef Industry." This agreement, if successful, will see a change to the check-off... Read More
Category: Cattle
Cattle markets have remained strong, although we saw a technical correction lower on the futures market this week. "Maybe we're getting a little numb to it, but futures markets continue to be extremely explosive whenever they tend to move. Up until this week, the market's been building to recent highs, but futures markets, led by... Read More
There a great number of trade files open in Canada, with officials focused on Japan and Asia Pacific with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP); the ongoing negotiations surrounding the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); and the European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), just to name a few. "I... Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada this week announced a release of all quarantines related to the bovine tuberculosis investigation in Western Canada. According to a press release, the release from quarantine includes 79 trace-out herds with approximately 15,000 animals, and 71 trace-in herds, also with roughly 15,000 animals. "I am... Read More
Though you may not be able to tell from the last week of quiet trading, it's been a busy month for the cattle markets. On January 31, the United States Department of Agriculture released its cattle inventory report for January 1, showing a one percent increase in all cattle and calves in the U.S. compared... Read More
One of the highlights of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) meeting every year are the Cattlefax market outlook presentations. Cattlefax certainly drove home the facts surrounding trade and how important it is for all U.S. agriculture at the cattle industry convention in Phoenix last week. Several Canadian attendees told us U.S. producers are optimistic... Read More
Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart today announced a $6.3 million commitment to 24 livestock and forage-related research projects and $2 million over two years to the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence. Background: Livestock centre of excellence receives $4.5 million from federal gov’t A&W donates $5M... Read More
The Bank of Canada raised the overnight rate target to 1.25 percent this week, with a cautionary note that touched on the uncertainty around the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The announcement caused brief volatility in the Canadian dollar, but will this change, or the one or two other hikes expected by economists affect... Read More
"This is most certainly not a toxic Superfund site.” As part of a National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) campaign video, the organization's chief environmental council, Scott Yager, stands in a Virginia pasture, overlooking a herd of grazing cattle, in only a portion of the yellow hazmat suit he donned at a hazardous waste site in... Read More
According to the dictionary, a sin tax is "a tax on items considered undesirable or harmful, such as alcohol or tobacco." There is mounting pressure from activist groups to add animal proteins to that list of so-called "sinful" items. They argue meat creates added healthcare costs and negative impacts on the environment. It might sound... Read More