Reading Time: < 1 minute Seoul | Reuters — South Korea has confirmed new cases of African swine fever at hog farms in cities near the capital Seoul after the country’s first outbreak of the deadly virus last week, the agriculture ministry said on Monday. The new case occurred at a pig farm with about 1,800 pigs in the city […] Read more
South Korea confirms new cases of African swine fever
U.S. livestock: Feeder cattle near six-week high
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. feeder cattle and live cattle futures hit their highest prices since August on Thursday, supported by strength in the cash market, before ending mixed. Cash cattle had set the firmer tone on Wednesday, trading for $101/cwt in Texas and Kansas, up from a range of $97-$100 in Texas last week […] Read more
Safety advocates sound alarm over new U.S. hog slaughter rules
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. food safety and the health of plant workers will be at risk from new federal rules that allow meat companies to slaughter hogs as fast as they want and shift the role of government inspectors, food and environmental advocates said on Tuesday. The warnings about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s […] Read more
Hog market at seasonal lows, turnaround expected
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — The Canadian hog market may be at its seasonal lows, but tightening worldwide supplies should underpin values over the next few months. “We’re at a seasonal time of year when prices move lower,” said Brad Marceniuk, livestock economist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, pointing to higher U.S. slaughter numbers and a slowdown in North American […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs rise on expectations for Chinese buying
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures climbed to their highest price since July on Monday on expectations for Chinese buying, while technical selling pushed down cattle futures. Meat traders anticipate China will increase pork imports to offset an expected shortage caused by an outbreak of African swine fever, a fatal pig virus that […] Read more
China to exempt U.S. pork, soybeans from additional tariffs
Reading Time: 2 minutes Shanghai | Reuters — China will exempt some agricultural products from additional tariffs on U.S. goods, including pork and soybeans, China’s official Xinhua News Agency said Friday, in the latest sign of easing Sino-U.S. tensions before a new round of talks aimed at curbing a bruising trade war. The United States and China have both […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle extend recovery from nine-year low
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures shot higher on Wednesday on short covering and technical buying as the market extended a rebound from a nine-year low this week. CME October live cattle futures ended up 2.35 cents at 98.5 cents/lb. (all figures US$). The market has climbed since October live cattle […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle fall as cash cattle, beef prices sag
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell to contract lows on Thursday as cash cattle prices declined from last week and wholesale beef prices extended their slide, traders said. Cash cattle traded at $100/cwt in Texas and Kansas, traders said, down from $103 last week (all figures US$). “Boxed beef is […] Read more
Industry groups hail appointment of new China envoy
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa | Reuters — Canada has appointed veteran business consultant Dominic Barton as ambassador to China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday, as the government grapples with a major diplomatic and trade dispute between the nations. Barton, 56, a Ugandan-born Canadian who stepped down as global managing partner of consulting firm McKinsey and Co. […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hogs, cattle drop on large supplies
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures crumbled under the weight of large supplies and a lack of news about trade talks with China on Tuesday, while cattle futures also weakened. The declines were a turnaround from Monday, when hog futures climbed on hopes for easing tensions in the trade war between Washington and […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
