(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Analysts believe American tariffs are inevitable

Cattle producers less vulnerable for now than feeders, hog producers analysts say

Canada’s livestock sectors have been anxious about the prospect of tariffs since Donald Trump won the American election in November. Dennis Laycraft, executive vice-president at the Canadian Cattle Association, said without knowing exactly what is coming, the organization could analyze the threatened tariffs only so much.



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 

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


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Hog sector hit hard by pandemic

Market weakness seen likely to push some farmers out of business

MarketsFarm — COVID-19 has hit the hog sector hard, with the double-edged sword of large supplies and reduced demand weighing heavily on the market. “The prospect of profitability at current forward prices and at current cash prices is nil… and there’s really no prospect of making anything this year,” said Tyler Fulton, director of risk […] Read more

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Pig farmers seek aid of $20 per hog against market crash

Losses of $675 million expected from COVID-19-related causes

Canada’s hog producers seek an immediate federal cash injection equivalent to $20 per hog against a market crash that’s expected to cost their sector about $675 million overall. Officials with the Canadian Pork Council on Thursday called for Ottawa to provide further aid to hog farmers who are now expecting to lose $30 to more […] Read more


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Strong foreign demand boosts North American hog markets

MarketsFarm — While the volume of hogs at North American slaughter markets have kept packing plants near capacity in recent weeks, strong foreign export demand has kept pork values high. “We expect pork values to move higher, due to the shortness of production in China,” said Brad Marceniuk, a Saskatchewan provincial livestock economist in Saskatoon. […] Read more

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Canadian hog prices on rebound

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

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Pork exports key in 2018 as U.S. slaughter ramps up

CNS Canada –– Canadian pork producers should see higher returns for their product in the spring of 2018, but whether those prices last may determine how successful Canada is at tapping new markets. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture supply estimates, weekly U.S. hog slaughter numbers over the past two months have averaged 2.369 million […] Read more