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U.S. Livestock: cattle futures fall after hitting record high

Export sales of beef rose to 20,900 metric tons in the week ended July 13: USDA

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rose to all-time highs on Thursday, with signs of strong export demand and good sales on the cash market supporting prices, traders said. But cattle prices closed lower on a round of profit-taking as traders took money off the table ahead of key government supply reports […] Read more

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Activists target Ontario hog farm with ransomware

'We are dealing with adversaries whose motivation is not money'

Reading Time: 3 minutes A ransomware on a small Ontario hog business is something a cybersecurity expert says needs more attention from the agriculture industry. Instead of cash, the attackers demanded the hog business owners publicly admit to what they alleged to be livestock mistreatment. The occurrence was unique and alarming, says Ali Dehghantanha, Canada research chair in cybersecurity […] Read more


Photo: Canada Beef Inc.

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle firm; remain near recent highs

A lack of fresh fundamental inputs limited the gains

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle edged higher on Wednesday, with tight U.S. supplies keeping prices near contract highs. A lack of fresh fundamental inputs limited the gains. August live cattle futures LCQ3 settled up 0.05 cent at 181.325 cents per pound, ending just below the contract high of 181.875 cents it set […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

US Livestock: live cattle rise on limited US supply, strong cash prices

Analysts suggest high prices, tight supply may drive meatpackers to cut hours

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures extended gains on Tuesday on worries over limited U.S. supplies. Recent strength in cash prices for cattle helped to support futures, analysts said, after ranchers shrank their herds due to drought and high feed costs. Analysts said there is chatter in the market that high […] Read more


CME August 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME August live cattle touch new high

Hogs lower as China books higher pork output

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures set a new high in the front-month contract on Monday on technical buying and concerns over tightening U.S. supplies, analysts said. August live cattle reached its life-of-contract high of 181.6 cents/lb. before retreating to settle 0.05 cent lower at 180.125 cents/lb. (all figures US$). October […] Read more

CME August 2023 live cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages and October 2023 live cattle (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle turn higher

Chicago lean hog futures mixed

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures turned higher on Friday amid a flurry of technical trading, even as beef prices continued to see a seasonal downturn, traders said. Cash cattle market trades this week continued to be down $2-$3 per hundredweight (cwt), traders said (all figures US$). The U.S. Department of […] Read more


CME August 2023 live cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages and October 2023 live cattle (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle down off contract highs on profit-taking

Hogs also down off early strength

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures turned lower on Wednesday on a round of profit-taking after most months climbed to life-of-contract highs, with a seasonal downturn in beef prices adding to bearish sentiment, traders said. Most-active August live cattle futures settled down 1.95 cents at 176.875 cents/lb., retreating after rising to […] Read more

CME August 2023 lean hogs with 20- and 50-day moving averages and October 2023 lean hogs (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs rally as pork prices rise

August live cattle touch new contract high

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed higher on Tuesday, bouncing after a three-session slide as wholesale pork prices rose and cash hog prices firmed, traders said, while tight cattle supplies sent futures to life-of-contract highs. CME August lean hogs settled up 3.4 cents at 97.575 cents/lb., and the October contract […] Read more


CME October 2023 live cattle with 20- and 100-day moving averages and August 2023 live cattle (dark red line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle end higher on firm cash values

Hogs settle lower off recent highs

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended modestly higher on Monday on follow-though buying from Friday and carry-over strength from last week’s strong cash cattle market. Cash cattle traded late last week as high as $184-$185 per hundredweight (cwt) in northern feedlot areas, traders said, up from sales of around $178-$182 […] Read more

CME August 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle climb on firmer cash market

Hogs down on technical selling

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rallied on Friday on tight fed cattle supplies and higher cash market sales in the central U.S. Plains and western Midwest, traders said. Beef packers were in need of cattle to fill near-term operations, including a large Saturday slaughter and a full week of production […] Read more