Reading Time: 2 minutes China's pork output eased in January-March from a year earlier, the first quarterly decline in nearly four years, as farmers slaughtered fewer pigs to support a recovery in hog prices.

China pork output marks first quarterly decline in four years

Smithfield Foods ends contracts with 26 US pig farms, citing oversupply
American pork producers have been losing money as pig prices, consumer demand bump against high costs
Reading Time: 2 minutes Smithfield Foods said it will end contracts with 26 hog farms in the U.S. state of Utah, in the latest contraction by the world's largest pork processor in the face of an industry oversupply.

Coronavirus disrupts China meat imports, food supplies
Swine fever has created pork shortage
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Coronavirus is disrupting meat shipments to China as the country faces a shortage due to an outbreak of a fatal pig disease, Tyson Foods Inc and U.S. agricultural groups said on Thursday. An outbreak of African swine fever, which infects only pigs, has decimated China’s herd, pushing Chinese pork prices to […] Read more

China’s shutout of Canadian meat scrambles global pork flow
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winnipeg | Reuters — China’s decision to block imports of Canadian meat has set off a global chain reaction in pork trading but it will do little to curb overall demand as a disease ravaging the Chinese hog herd elevates prices, industry experts say. China said on Tuesday it wants the Canadian government to temporarily […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hog futures set two-week peak on pork price hopes
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures jumped to two-week highs on Tuesday amid hopes for increased pork prices, which have been under pressure from large supplies and weakened demand from China. Wholesale pork prices, known as the cutout, rose by $1.01 on Monday to $62.93/cwt for carcasses, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle end mixed, June sets new high
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. live cattle futures finished mixed after touching a new contract high on Thursday, as concerns about cold weather tightening supplies underpinned prices. Forecasts for more cold, snowy weather in the middle of the country kept traders on edge after recent storms slowed transportation and weight gain in herds. Cattle typically […] Read more

Maple Leaf profit misses estimates on weak pork prices
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Packaged meat producer Maple Leaf Foods missed analysts’ estimates for quarterly profit on Thursday, as weak pork prices offset growth in its prepared meats business. Pork prices have taken a beating from the Sino-U.S. trade war, with China’s retaliatory tariffs affecting demand from the South Asian country, which is the world’s biggest pork […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle set contract highs on winter weather
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures jumped to contract highs on Tuesday as traders worried about snow and cold temperatures slowing shipments of livestock to processing plants. Lean hog futures also rose in a turnaround from a slide to contract lows last week. Traders focused on the wintry weather as forecasters predicted more […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hogs sag on large supply, shrug off trade talks
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures slumped on Monday as concerns about mounting supplies overshadowed hopes that Washington and Beijing will resolve the trade war that has reduced shipments of U.S. pork to China. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would delay an increase in U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods thanks to […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hogs slide to four-month low on burdensome supply
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures dropped to their lowest prices in four months on Wednesday under pressure from large supplies and low pork prices. Farmers have ramped up hog production due to low prices for grains used for feed and as processing companies have built new plants to slaughter swine in recent years. […] Read more