Reading Time: 3 minutes Unionized workers at Cargill’s cattle slaughter and processing plant at High River, Alta. will start strike action next month unless a deal can be reached with the company, their union said Wednesday. A strike would begin at High River no sooner than Dec. 6 at 12:01 a.m. if a new collective bargaining agreement isn’t reached […] Read more
Cargill beef plant workers serve strike notice
Without a deal, High River workers will walk Dec. 6
Klassen: Feeder market on soft slope
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were steady to $2 lower on average while calves traded steady to as much as $4 lower in certain regions; calves under 550 pounds were quoted $3-$6 below week-ago levels. Barley and wheat prices continue to percolate higher, causing a defensive sentiment amongst buyers. Southern Alberta and […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle end higher, lean hogs eases
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished higher on Friday and gained about 1 percent for the week, helped by solid export demand, traders said. Demand from China has been particularly strong, fueled by the appetites of a growing Chinese middle class and diplomatic tensions with rival supplier Australia. The U.S. […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hogs climb on strong exports
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures climbed to their highest in nearly two weeks on Thursday, supported by strong weekly export sales and tighter supplies of market-ready hogs, analysts said. “Hog numbers are still running below last year. If that continues to tighten up, I think that boosts the back months […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle firms on stronger cash, wholesale market
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures firmed on Wednesday, underpinned by stronger cash trade as packers pull more cattle forward, while wholesale beef prices added support, analysts said. “It does seem like the packers have picked up the production for cattle lately,” said Doug Houghton, technical analyst at Brock Capital Management. […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures slip amid export demand doubts
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures slipped on Tuesday, as uncertainty over Chinese pork demand continued and animal weights were expected to increase on cooling U.S. temperatures, analysts said. Meanwhile, Chicago’s cattle futures firmed a bit on Tuesday, amid steady slaughter rates and market expectations that cash prices should continue to […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market continues on downward trend
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, Western Canadian yearling markets dropped $2 to $4 while calf prices sank $2 to as much as $6 on average. Rising feed grain prices set a negative tone. Adverse weather also contributed to lower bids, especially in the lighter weight categories. Most auction barns had feature calf sales this past week. […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle futures slide to five-month low
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures hit a one-week low on Monday on bigger-than-expected U.S. supplies, while feeder cattle dropped to a five-month low, analysts said. Traders have been expecting cattle supplies to tighten but did not see signs of it in October, said Rich Nelson, chief strategist for agricultural commodities […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures fall; hog futures rise as traders look at cash prices
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell for the second day in a row on Friday, with traders saying that prices were still too high compared to cash market. High prices for corn and wheat that weighed on cattle producers’ profit margins added further pressure. But traders noted the opposite in […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures fall after three days of gains, hogs firm
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell on Thursday, snapping three sessions of gains on some profit-taking, traders said. Fresh signs of strength in the cash cattle markets had already been priced in, a trader said, and sharply higher prices for grain raised concerns about increased feeding costs. Hog futures were […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
