U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue holds a U.S. flag-themed face mask while speaking about the U.S. food supply chain as President Donald Trump listens during a COVID-19 pandemic response event at the White House on May 19, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Leah Millis)

President’s cattle call finds expected marks in U.S.

Trump suggests killing trade pacts with unnamed cattle-exporting nations

U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks Tuesday about imports of live cattle into the United States resonated predictably among that country’s various cattle producer groups. At a White House event Tuesday, flanked by U.S. farm and ranch leaders and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for a multi-billion-dollar COVID-19-related farm aid announcement, Trump said he “read yesterday where […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures slip as slaughter rises

CME lean hog futures firm

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell on Wednesday, as cattle continue to back up, despite slaughter plants’ coming back online, traders said. CME lean hog futures firmed despite rising kill numbers, as social distancing rules in plants keep slaughter below normal rates. The nearby CME June live cattle futures contract settled down […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Hog futures fall

Live cattle futures firm while slaughter numbers rise

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures fell on Tuesday, pressured by an increase in daily slaughter totals as pork plants come back online, traders said. CME live cattle futures firmed despite rising kill numbers, with the most-actively traded contract passing through a key technical benchmark. The nearby CME June live cattle futures contract settled […] Read more

Meeting metabolizable protein requirements of your cattle

Meeting metabolizable protein requirements of your cattle

Nutrition with John McKinnon

In my April column, I covered the basic concepts of ruminant protein nutrition and introduced the concept of metabolizable protein. As a quick review, metabolizable protein is the protein — or more specifically the amino acids — available for absorption in the small intestine of the animal. Metabolizable protein is used to meet the animal’s […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Trump floats halt to U.S. cattle imports as pandemic hurts ranchers

'We have a lot of cattle in this country'

Washington/Chicago | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States should consider terminating trade deals under which it imports cattle as he looks to help U.S. ranchers hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. The United States imports cattle from Mexico and Canada to supplement domestic supplies at lower prices and to […] Read more



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

U.S. livestock: Live cattle book third day of gains

CME to change cattle futures trading rules

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rose for the third day in a row on Monday, hitting their highest since April 1, with ongoing strength in the cash markets leading the way higher, traders said. Hog contracts were lower, with the front-month contract sinking to its lowest since April 29. The nearby CME […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Firm cash market lifts live cattle

Weaker pork prices, supply ideas drag on hogs

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Friday, with the front contract gaining against back months, led by higher cash cattle prices, traders said. Cash cattle traded as high as $120/cwt in the southern Plains on Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, up from trades a week earlier that ranged […] Read more


Being on the cusp of grilling season, the timing could not be worse.

COVID-19’s continuing chaos

Prime Cuts with Steve Kay

As I write this on April 6, the April live cattle futures contract here in the U.S. has closed down its 450-point extended daily limit for the fourth day in a row. The contract closed at US$83.82 per cwt, thus losing 1,800 points in those four days. In contrast, the contract settled on February 21 […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

WLPIP calf price insurance deadline extended

Three-week extension includes nine purchasing days

Cattle producers in the western provinces will get extra decision-making time this year on the calf price insurance available through Western Livestock Price Insurance (WLPIP). The Prairies’ Crown ag insurance corporations announced Thursday that the deadline to buy WLPIP calf price insurance for 2020 has been extended to June 18. The new deadline, reset from […] Read more