Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago lean hog futures rallied on Tuesday ahead of the USDA’s Hogs and Pigs report, due on Thursday. “The report may show a slight increase in total hog population, but analysts are speculating over what other stats may show and mean for futures prices,” the Wall Street Journal reported. The question is if producers expanded […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs rally ahead of USDA report
Klassen: Feeder market slips off record highs
Reading Time: 2 minutes For the week ending September 20, Western Canadian feeder markets traded steady to $5/cwt lower compared to seven days earlier. There were pockets where quality calf packages traded $10-$15/cwt below prices from the prior week. The October feeder cattle futures have been trading at $15/cwt premium to the deferred March 2026 contract. This inverse in […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures higher on screwworm news
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Monday after news that New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, was detected 70 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, analysts said. Analysts believed the news would mean the U.S.-Mexico border will be closed to feeder cattle imports for the foreseeable future. “It’s bullish […] Read more
Mexico confirms case of New World screwworm in northern state, USDA says
Reading Time: < 1 minute Mexico confirmed a new case of New World screwworm in Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, less than 70 miles (113 km) from the U.S.-Mexico border, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.
U.S. livestock: Cattle markets up ahead of report
Reading Time: < 1 minute Cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange were stronger on Friday, with positioning ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest cattle on feed report behind much of the activity. The report came out after the markets closed, with placements in August down 10 per cent on the year at 1.78 million head and marketings […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures higher, though traders uncertain about demand
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live and feeder cattle futures rose on Thursday on a tight cattle supply, though industry experts expressed doubt over consumer demand for beef as concerns grew over the U.S. economic outlook. CME December live cattle LCZ25 ended 1.475 cents higher to 234.15 cents per pound. October feeder cattle […] Read more
Top global meatpacker JBS prepares for drop in cattle for slaughter in 2026
Reading Time: 2 minutes Brazilian meatpacker JBS is prepared for a likely shift in the country’s cattle cycle that could lead to reduced availability of animals for slaughter next year. Brazil’s beef exports to the U.S. are expected to drop further.
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures fall
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago cattle and hog futures fell for the second day running ahead of Friday’s cattle on feed report. Most-active December live cattle closed at 232.675 cents a pound, down 2.475 cents. October contracts settled at 231.100 cents a pound, down 2.350 cents. Most-traded October feeder cattle futures closed at 349.125 cents per pound, a loss […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle and hog futures slide
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago cattle and hog futures slid on Tuesday as economic data showed signs of slowing U.S. household spending. Most-active December live cattle closed at 235.150 cents a pound, down 1.125 cents. October contracts settled at 233.450 cents per pound, down 1.150 cents. Most-traded October feeder cattle futures settled at 354.300 cents a pound, down 0.200 […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market eyes deferred live cattle futures
Reading Time: 2 minutes For the week ending September 13, Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively unchanged compared to seven days earlier. The April 2026 live cattle futures ended the week at $233, down $10 from the contract highs. Nearby feedlot margins remain favorable; however, profitability in the deferred positions has evaporated given the weakness in the deferred […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
