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U.S. beef cow herd falls to lowest level since 1962, USDA says

Last year saw record cull, Rabobank reports

Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. beef cow herd dropped to its lowest level since 1962, U.S. Department of Agriculture data showed on Tuesday, after a severe drought raised costs for livestock feed. Ranchers increasingly sent cows to slaughter last year, instead of keeping them to reproduce, as dry weather reduced the amount of pasture […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Live cattle firm on strong cash trade

Cattle inventory report due out Tuesday; CME hogs end mixed

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures firmed on Monday, supported by strengthening cash trade and in anticipation of the U.S. Agriculture Department’s biannual cattle inventory report, due out on Tuesday. “Historically, the cattle inventory report wouldn’t be that big of a market mover. But it is a good check in on where you’re […] Read more


Ferguson is more likely to buy “plain” cattle than “fancy” cattle, as he’s looking for a class of stock that can be upgraded.

Sell-buy cattle marketing with Doug Ferguson

Learn how one producer applies sell-buy marketing to his own operation

When Doug Ferguson was a teenager, he had three things on his to-do list — have a family, ride bulls and raise cattle. Even back then he knew he had to make money doing the latter to support the other two aims. The cattle marketer grew up on a mixed farming operation in southeast Nebraska […] Read more



CME February 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures up off lowest since December 2021

Cattle futures down with cash markets

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures rose on Thursday as strength in cash markets and rising export demand sparked a round of bargain buying after prices hit their lowest in more than a year. But weakness in the cash markets weighed on cattle futures. The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Thursday morning that export […] Read more

File photo of a cow grazing near Leader, Sask., about 85 km south of Kindersley. (James_Gabbert/iStock/Getty Images)

Saskatchewan holds Crown grazing rents at last year’s levels

Also, leaseholders on drought-downgraded land eligible for rate cut

Cattle producers leasing Crown land for grazing in Saskatchewan won’t see a rate hike this year and may be eligible for a significant rate cut. The provincial government announced Wednesday it has frozen the rates charged to producers who lease Crown grazing land in 2023 at their 2022 level. The freeze will apply to all […] Read more


CME February 2023 lean hogs with 20- and 50-day moving averages and CME cash lean hog index (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures hit lowest since late 2021

Ballooning supplies an issue; cattle futures mixed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures fell to their lowest in more than a year on Wednesday, with plentiful supplies and weak export demand weighing on prices, traders said. Cattle futures were mixed, with nearby contracts easing while deferred contracts firmed on concerns about low animal weight. February lean hog futures ended […] Read more

A cow nuzzles her newborn calf. Anything from computer vision testing to a back-protecting belt may ease producers’ calving season troubles.

New calving tech and farmer-based innovations

Whether it’s artificial intelligence or a simple piece of equipment, there are several innovations that can help cut losses and make calving season easier

According to the 2017 Western Canadian Cow-Calf Survey completed by the University of Saskatchewan, 3.1 per cent of the overall 5.4 per cent calf death loss total occurred at birth or within 24 hours.  To help reduce these numbers, calving management and practices are constantly adapting with technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning and the Internet […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures firm even as feed prices weigh

Lean hogs end lower, pork packing margins up

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures were mixed on Tuesday as soybean and grain prices firmed, traders said. Live cattle and feeder futures were able to continue Monday’s price bump. But the higher feed prices weighed on the beef market, as did questions over consumer and export demand, StoneX chief commodities economist […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME cattle firm on bargain buying, grain values

Chicago lean hogs end day lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures firmed on Monday amid a spate of bargain buying after a recent slump in prices helped mute market impact of the bearish results of the latest Cattle on Feed report from the U.S. Agriculture Department, traders said. Cattle futures also were boosted by a sharp drop […] Read more