Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle producers placed more animals than expected into feedlots last month, U.S. Department of Agriculture data showed on Friday, raising expectations for big supplies next summer. The increase in placements will likely pressure futures prices on Monday, brokers said. Meat producers and buyers are keeping a close watch on herd […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle placements top estimates
U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise on pork shipments to China
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures strengthened on Thursday as the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported shipments of U.S. pork to China last week reached their highest in at least 10 months. Traders and analysts are focusing on exports to China because it is the world’s top pork consumer and has lost about half […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle sink ahead of USDA feedlot data
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell to a one-week low and feeder cattle futures hit a six-week low on Friday ahead of a U.S. Department of Agriculture report that traders expected would show a hefty year-on-year increase in the number of cattle placed in feedlots last month. February live cattle futures on […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures halt skid on export data
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures closed higher on Thursday as bullish weekly export sales data and hopes for progress on a U.S.-China trade deal helped to snap a six-session sell-off, traders said. February lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) settled up 0.675 cent at 67.45 cents/lb., rallying after a […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market remains volatile
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian yearling markets appeared to stabilize after coming under pressure earlier in the month. Compared to last week, yearling prices were unchanged to $4 higher on average while calf markets traded $2-$3 on either side of unchanged. Major feedlots were more aggressive for 800-plus-lb. cattle as feed grain prices continue to grind lower. Favourable […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market recovers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $4-$6 higher on average; some packages in Alberta sold $8 to as much as $10 above week-ago levels. Larger feedlot operations were very aggressive on 750- to 900-pounders. The quality of yearlings is excellent at this time of year. Comments from the front row suggest most […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle markets remain firm
Reading Time: 2 minutes Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were unchanged from seven days earlier. Strong buying interest was noted from finishing feedlots in Alberta. Orders flowed across the prairies keeping prices relatively even. U.S. feeder cattle markets traded $3 to as much as $8 higher in the Northern Plains which also underpinned prices in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. There […] Read more
Klassen: Yearling prices surge
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, Western Canadian yearling prices were $3 to as much as $10 higher while calves traded $2 to $5 above week-ago levels. Most auction barns remain in holiday mode; however, order buyers were extremely busy fielding calls for available cattle. This caused the yearling market in Western Canada to divorce from the […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market experiences fortuitous bounce
Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $2-$5 higher on average. Auction barns had limited numbers on offer but strong buying interest surfaced for quality packages. Alberta feedlots were the main buyers setting the price structure. There were two main factors enhancing demand this week. First, U.S. packers started to show some […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures limit down on supply glut
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Hefty supplies of American pigs pushed Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures down by the daily exchange-imposed limit on Friday. Prices tumbled as the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that meat companies such as Tyson Foods and JBS USA slaughtered 462,000 hogs, up nine per cent from a year earlier. […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
