Reading Time: 2 minutes Nearly 1,000 workers at Cargill’s beef processing plant in Guelph were on strike at the end of May, and there’s a possibility that workers at the Cargill Case Ready plant in Calgary could also hit the picket lines.
Strike possibility looms at Calgary Cargill plant
June vote will determine if Calgary Cargill workers will echo Cargill Guelph work stoppage
U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures mixed, hog futures lower, amid demand questions
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures ended Monday mixed, after conflicting market signals sent feeder cattle futures lower and nearby live cattle contracts slightly higher. Lean hog futures eased, as market participants wrestled with growing uncertainty over consumer demand for meat as the U.S. enters into the traditional summer grilling season. In […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME cattle stabilize after bird flu roils markets
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures stabilized on Friday after U.S. testing of ground beef samples for H5N1 bird flu fuelled wild swings, but markets still closed lower for the week. Live cattle and feeder cattle futures had rallied on Thursday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the samples from retail […] Read more
Cargill renews top-up payment for CRSB-certified beef
Reading Time: < 1 minute Cargill and its customers have renewed a program that would ensure beef producers receive at least $400 for being certified under the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB).
U.S. livestock: CME cattle soar as cash markets firm
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures jumped on Thursday, buoyed by rising cash cattle prices and a government inventory report confirming that the total number of U.S. cattle fell to a 73-year low. CME April live cattle futures LCJ24 settled up 2.475 cents at 183.175 cents per pound, nearing Monday’s 2-1/2-month high of […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market holds value despite negative margins
U.S. demand limited with colder temperatures in Midwest
Reading Time: 2 minutes Calf markets appeared to trade $2 to $3 above week-ago levels on average. Feedlot margins on current pen close-outs are negative $300 to $350 per head but replacement markets haven’t missed a beat. Finishing feedlots were once again bidding aggressively on backgrounded cattle with fleshier types experiencing limited slippage. Larger pen sized groups were on the higher end of the priced spectrum with buyers avoiding smaller packages.
Klassen: Yearling return to the lineup on strong demand
Frigid temperatures result in limited volumes
Reading Time: 2 minutes The market hasn’t missed a beat and started the year where it left in December. The only difference is there are larger supplies of yearlings coming on stream. The benchmark levels had backgrounded steers averaging 1,000 pounds trading from $280-$285/cwt with top bids rounding at $290/cwt. Steers averaging 850-pounds were averaging $300/cwt with top-notch larger groups peaking at $305.
Klassen: Cattle producers anxious about 2024
No sales the first week of 2024 as markets assess inventory, plan strategy
Reading Time: 2 minutes The holiday break for the cattle market is analogous to an the intermission between periods of hockey game. Feedlot operators assess inventory and to focus on the market structure. They’re planning their purchase strategy for the next couple months.
Feed Grain weekly outlook: Corn, barley on level ground
High Canadian dollar behind lower corn trading
Reading Time: 2 minutes Prices for Canadian feed barley and United States corn imports reached parity as the feed grain market took a breather between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Klassen: Year-end buying interest boosts feeder market
Feedlot operators gearing up for shortfall in overall numbers in the first half of 2024
Reading Time: 2 minutes Strength was noted in calves under 650 pounds while feeders over 700 pounds were relatively unchanged. Larger packages of weaned quality genetics were $8 to $10 higher in some cases.
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
