Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. lean hog futures surged about five per cent on Monday, reversing from one-month lows on investor optimism that a weaker dollar would spark increased export demand for pork, traders and analysts said. Live cattle fell to a roughly one-month low while feeder cattle futures declined to lifetime lows at the […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hogs surge on pork export optimism
Klassen: Major operations aggressively bid feeder cattle
Reading Time: 2 minutes The feeder cattle market in a world of its own but has a fair amount of new information — mostly negative — to digest as the fall run moves into full steam. Despite the upcoming uncertainty, western Canadian yearling prices were $4 to $8 above last week on very strong buying interest from larger operations; […] Read more
Cattle herd still shrinking in StatsCan estimates
Reading Time: 2 minutes The size of Canada’s cattle herd is still in decline and almost a quarter smaller than its peak in 2005, Statistics Canada reports. The federal statistics agency on Thursday released estimates showing the herd at 13 million cattle on farms on July 1 this year, down 2.1 per cent from the same date in 2014. […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Economic fears slam CME live cattle, hogs
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed sharply lower on Friday as global economic turmoil sparked fears of a U.S. meat export slowdown, traders and analysts said. Spot-August futures closed 1.05 cents/lb. lower at 145.425 cents, and October 2.475 cents lower at 143.85 cents (all figures US$). “The elephant in the […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle rise with cash bids
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Thursday, supported by short-covering after packers hiked bids for unsold market-ready (cash) cattle, traders said. Spot-August futures closed 1.225 cents/lb. higher at 146.475 cents, and October 1.175 cents higher at 146.325 cents (all figures US$). Processors in Kansas and Texas on Thursday […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Fallen cash prices rattle CME live cattle
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures suffered their fourth straight day of losses on Wednesday after digesting sharply lower preliminary prices for market-ready (cash) cattle, traders said. Spot-August futures closed down 1.95 cents/lb. to 145.25 cents, and October 2.25 cents lower at 145.15 cents (all figures US$). Earlier on Wednesday, a […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cash price caution weakens CME live cattle, hogs
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures lost modest ground on Tuesday, weakened by profit-taking while investors awaited direction from the afternoon’s cash prices, traders said. The spot-October contract closed 0.15 cent/lb. lower at 66.125 cents, and December down 0.05 cent at 62.25 (all figures US$). Prices for market-ready (cash) hogs in […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market tenacious
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle prices appeared to shrug off all negative economic news and divorce from the fed cattle complex this past week. Volumes were once again quite thin, characterized by varying quality. Feedlot operators were active on all fronts, especially in southern Alberta where the barley harvest is in full swing. Heavier yearlings on […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Firm cash, pork prices lift CME hogs
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed higher on Monday, supported by the morning’s cash and wholesale pork price gains, traders said. The spot-October contract closed 0.95 cent/lb. higher at 66.275, and December up 0.35 cent at 62.3 cents (all figures US$). Monday morning’s average cash hog price in the western […] Read more
Tyson cuts beef production due to cattle shortage
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Tyson Foods on Friday said it is permanently ceasing beef production at its plant in Denison, Iowa, effective immediately, as cattle ranchers work to rebuild shrunken herds following the severe Midwestern drought. The move by Tyson, the biggest U.S. meat processor, will affect 400 employees at the plant, which will continue byproduct rendering […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
