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

U.S. livestock: Futures mixed on pork export questions, cattle supplies

U.S. beef packer margins down on week

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures had a mixed performance on Tuesday, as the supply of cattle being offered for sale continued to shrink and traders wrestled with uncertainty over pork export demand. An additional five cases of African swine fever (ASF) were initially found in dead wild boars in Germany. Initial tests were […] Read more



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

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs fall, cattle up on technical trading, profit-taking

Hogs 'stretched out technically last week'

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures slid on Monday on technical selling and profit-taking, as the trade began to question whether Chinese demand for U.S. pork will boom after rival supplier Germany confirmed a single case of African swine fever in a wild boar. U.S. pork packer margins eased but still were solid, […] Read more

The feeder cattle market softened earlier this spring; however, in yearling prices made fresh 52-week highs by early August.

The similarities between 2009 and 2020

Market Talk with Jerry Klassen

The U.S. and Canadian economies suffered the worst year-over-year contraction in GDP in history during the second quarter of 2020. U.S. GDP contracted at 32.9 per cent on an annual basis during the second quarter; the official Canadian data at the time of writing this article was not yet released but analysts expect the drop […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs climb on bullish pork export prospects

Live cattle continue following hogs higher

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures closed higher on Friday for a second session on expectations of increased export demand for U.S. pork after rival supplier Germany confirmed a case of African swine fever in a wild boar. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) October lean hog futures settled up 2.2 cents at 66.575 cents/lb. […] Read more

Left to right: Chad, Ricky, Cooper, Renee, Riata, Ellie and Louis Seelhof.

CCA Reports: Linking conservation and cattle

From the September 2020 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Over the past several months, COVID-19 has shown us that we have an innovative and resilient food system and has also identified where enhancements are needed. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten the future of families who raise beef cattle across Canada. It is also important to look at the impacts through […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Hog futures limit up on pork export optimism

CME live cattle follow lean hogs higher

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures closed up their daily limit on Thursday as confirmation of a case of African swine fever in a wild boar in Germany fueled expectations that pork importers would turn to the United States for supplies, traders said. Firming cash hog values and rising wholesale pork prices added […] Read more

CME October 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 100- and 200-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise as cash values firm

Live cattle follow cash cattle, beef prices lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures rose on Wednesday, reaching a four-month high on firming cash hog prices, optimism about pork demand and technical buying, analysts said. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange October lean hog futures contract settled above its 200-day moving average, rising 1.475 cents to end at 61.375 cents/lb. after reaching 61.725 […] Read more


Fed-cattle prices moving higher

Fed-cattle prices moving higher

The Markets with Deb McMillin, from the September 2020 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

Fed cattle Impressive summer slaughter rates coupled with strong wholesale demand have moved fed prices higher after weeks of a steady trading range. The fed steer price in Alberta in mid-August was $136.92/ cwt, which was a jump of $2.81/cwt from the previous week. Cash-to-cash basis is narrow at -$1.47/cwt, which compares to -$3.39/cwt a […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rise on expectations of firm cash values

Hog market appears technically overbought

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange closed higher on Tuesday on expectations of firmer cash prices as supplies of market-ready cattle tighten, following a drop this past spring in the number of cattle placed in feedlots, traders said. “Packer margins are huge; they are still over $350 a head. […] Read more