Worldwide hog production shrinks and Smithfield rocks Sunday, February 6, 2011 Only last June, a troubled Smithfield Foods Inc., based in Virginia, was denying published reports from Brazil that it was going to sell its pork production to JBS, the Brazilian meat packing giant that had already purchased Smithfield's beef operations. What a difference a few months make for the self-described world's largest pork processor and hog producer. While worldwide hog production shrank two per cent, Smithfield reported record high earnings in the quarter ending Oct. 31.Smithfield made money on both pig raising and processing. Live hog market prices rose 54 per cent to $56 per hundredweight from $36. Cutout prices rose more. "Smithfield is performing at record levels and we are focused on continuing to deliver strong earnings in the second half of fiscal 2011. All indications are that fiscal 2011 will be a record year for the company," said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer, in a December press release.Published reports indicate that Smithfield managed to pay down half of a US$1 billion debt in bonds that were due in 2011. The other half may not be as easy, since recently the U.S. government renewed an ethanol subsidy that keeps grain prices high. BP 'Pocket pigs' pose problems Commercial feed is the salmonella culprit
Hog Sector Outlook Strong in Early 2026 Monday, February 2, 2026 After a surprisingly strong 2025, the Canadian hog sector is starting 2026 on a positive notesays FCC.Hog'sfutures are near five-year highs, and global markets are more balanced after several years of oversupply and weaker demand. Combined with lower feed costs, this is creating supportive... Read this article online
Crude Oil Rises and Metals Drop in Commodity Markets Last Week Monday, February 2, 2026 On the weekly , experts Moe Agostino and Abhinesh Gopal reviewed major market movements during the week of January 26 to 30, by pointing to two drivers: a jump in crude oil tied to US-Iran tensions and a sudden plunge in precious metals. Wheat finished the week higher, while several... Read this article online
Conservatives back Poilievre in leadership review Monday, February 2, 2026 The Conservative Party of Canada is Pierre Poilievre’s to lead into the next election. Party delegates voted 87.4 per cent in favour of keeping Poilievre on as leader during the 2026 Conservative Convention in Calgary, Alta. Under the party’s constitution, a leadership review is... Read this article online
Ag in the House: Jan. 26 – 29 Monday, February 2, 2026 The return of Parliament also means the return of Farms.com’s Ag in the House series. For those new to the series, the weekly articles, released on Mondays, summarize the previous week’s exchanges related to agriculture during question period. On Jan. 26, Jasraj Singh Hallan, the... Read this article online
Wean-to-Finish Survivability Drives Performance and Profitability Monday, February 2, 2026 Looking beyond mortality totals to understand survivability challenges and opportunities in wean-to-finish production. Wean-to-finish survivability has become a growing point of pressure for the swine industry. As pigs grow, the financial impact is significantly greater than losses... Read this article online