File photo of a hog farmer with piglets in Poland. (Zuberka/iStock/Getty Images)

African swine fever spreads near German border

Reading Time: 2 minutes Paris | Reuters — Poland recorded 55 outbreaks of African swine fever in wild boar near the German border last month, the world animal health body said on Thursday, in a sign the deadly virus is spreading near one of the European Union’s biggest pork exporters. A report posted on the World Organization for Animal […] Read more



CME February 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle pull back after Monday rally

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. live cattle futures eased on Tuesday in a profit-taking setback from the prior session’s steep jump after weeks of rising cattle prices that have eroded beef packer margins. Live cattle futures were due for a pullback after scaling to an 8-1/2 month peak last week on strong beef demand and […] Read more



CME February 2020 lean hogs with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs limit down on profit-taking, Middle East tensions

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures tumbled by the daily trading limit to a three-week low on Friday as rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East triggered profit-taking, analysts said. Losses hit markets after a U.S. air strike in Iraq killed Iran’s most prominent military commander, rattling traders of products from agricultural futures to […] Read more

CME February 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures touch seven-week high

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures kicked off 2020 by approaching seven-week highs in gains driven by increasing expectations for bigger sales of American pork to China. China, the world’s largest pork consumer, needs larger imports to offset a domestic meat shortage caused by an outbreak of the fatal pig disease African swine fever. […] Read more





CME February 2020 lean hogs with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs stumble as supply trumps Chinese demand

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures dropped on Friday as pressure from large domestic supplies overshadowed an uptick in pork sales to China. Traders are keeping an eye on Chinese demand because China, the world’s biggest pork consumer, is grappling with a fatal pig disease, African swine fever. Farmers are hoping China will further […] Read more

CME February 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle placements top estimates

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