Jill and Vince Stevenson outside Ranch House Meat Company.

Raising the steaks for a hometown business

Can it really make sense for beef producers like Jill and Vince Stevenson to open their own retail shop in town?

Reading Time: 8 minutes You might say that when Vince and Jill Stevenson decided it was time to steer their family’s southwestern Saskatchewan ranch in a new direction, they really went to town with the idea. The Stevensons are owners of Ranch House Meat Company, a built-from-scratch, 6,000-sq.-ft., full-service meat processing and retail store on Centre Street, Shaunavon, located […] Read more



CME June 2021 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures edge higher after limit down move

CME cattle futures weak

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures firmed slightly on Tuesday after falling their daily trading limit in the previous session. Traders said the market had run out of steam after rallying to their highest since June 2014 last week. “There no doubt remains questions about the belly’s staying power at these levels […] Read more

CME August 2021 feeder cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2) and 100-day moving average (black line). (Barchart)

Klassen: Stronger demand drives feeder market

Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were $3 to as much as $6 higher, but calf prices were relatively unchanged. Major feedlot operators were very aggressive on heavier calves and yearlings weighing 700-850 lbs. Yearlings over 850 lbs. were also well bid but not as strong as their lighter-weight counterparts. Feed barley prices […] Read more


CME June 2021 lean hogs with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs limit-down off highest in nearly seven years

Follow-through selling drags on live cattle

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile exchange lean hog futures dropped sharply on Monday, with numerous contracts closing down the daily three-cent limit on a round of profit-taking after the front-month contract hit its highest since June 2014 last week. “We have had a strong run and we are coming up a little bit short […] Read more

CME June 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle ease after week of rising cash cattle, beef prices

Lean hog futures continue higher

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange eased on Friday, as basis between cash cattle and futures narrowed, analysts said. “We had some profit taking, because the cash market finally surged higher,” said Cassie Fish, analyst and author at the blog, The Beef. Cash cattle traded as high as […] Read more


CME June 2021 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20- and 100-day moving averages (pink, red lines) and CME lean hog index (purple line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs strengthen on strong demand, firm exports

Live cattle down despite beef, cash strength

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange climbed higher on Thursday as tight supply and firm export demand offered support, analysts said. “A lot of that has to do with COVID and the pent-up demand we have, with more things opening up,” said Joe Kooima, commodity broker at Kooima […] Read more

CME June 2021 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs gain as swine fever worries open up export markets

Boxed beef values lift live cattle futures

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange jumped higher on Wednesday on fears of African swine fever rising across parts of Asia, as well as tight domestic supply as the U.S. rebuilds its hog herd after culling during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, analysts said. The Philippines reduced […] Read more


CME June 2021 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle up with consumer beef demand

Demand, cash prices also support hogs

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange climbed higher on Tuesday, supported by strong consumer beef demand and a firming cash beef market, analysts said. “The demand for protein is strong,” said Altin Kalo, economist at Steiner Consulting Group. It’s people getting ready for the spring and restaurants opening […] Read more

CME June 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle, lean hogs set new contract highs

June hogs turn lower before close

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Strong meat demand pushed U.S. live cattle and lean hog futures to new contract highs on Monday. The cattle market benefited from increasing demand for beef as the U.S. is entering the summer grilling season, analysts said. Prices for choice cuts of boxed beef soared by $5.82, to $258.67/cwt, while select […] Read more