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Feed weekly outlook: Feedlots, elevators filled with corn

MarketsFarm — As 2022 begins, feed grain markets in Alberta have been “status quo,” according to a grain buyer. “There’s a lot of grain that has been pre-contracted in terms of corn coming in from the United States,” said Brandon Motz of CorNine Commodities at Lacombe, Alta. “Lots of priority has been towards execution, making […] Read more

CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures firm

Cash cattle prices provide support; lean hogs also firm with cash index

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures moved higher on Thursday, supported by cash cattle prices in the northern U.S. Plains, analysts said. “We’ve been under some pressure recently, but the cash trade was still at $138 to $140,” said Doug Houghton, technical analyst at Brock Capital Management (all figures US$). “That’s […] Read more


History: Canada Packers Limited – Report to the Shareholders

Reprinted from the September 1953 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

‘The 26th year of Canada Packers closed March 25th, 1953. Within the year under review, prices of all meats declined an average of 22%. The most drastic decline was in cattle, and consequently beef, prices. A decline was not unexpected. It had been predicted for more than two years. Cattle prices had advanced to a […] Read more

CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle down on lagging slaughter rates

Lighter supplies support lean hog futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased for a fifth consecutive session on Wednesday, pressured by lagging slaughterhouse production, analysts said. “We’re just not processing cattle fast enough. Some of the supply chain bottle necks that have affected the cattle market up to this point, they still remain in play,” said […] Read more


CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, lean hogs dip on regulatory concerns

Biden proposal seen improving producers' cut of price

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Tuesday, pressured by new federal efforts to address a lack of competition in the U.S. meat processing sector. The initiative, announced by U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday, includes funding for more independent meat processors, strengthening enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act, […] Read more

Geopolitically, it’s going be the “wild, woolly West until we get the WTO more fully functioning and that can take a lot of twists and turns,” said one member of a panel discussing trade at a recent conference.

Comment: Toiling in the mines for trade

Given everything that’s happening globally, it must take relentless optimism and determination to maintain existing trade relationships and broker new ones these days. That was my main impression as I watched a trade panel organized by the North American Association of Ag Journalists in late 2021. The panel comprised three trade veterans: Gregg Doud, who […] Read more



CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 50-day moving average (black line) and August 2022 live cattle (pink line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Nearby CME live and feeder cattle futures ease

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Monday, remaining near recent highs as back-month contracts climbed to new highs on expectations of tighter supplies to come. CME February live cattle futures settled down 0.775 cent at 138.925 cents/lb., though back-month contracts starting with August 2022 found new life-of-contract highs (all […] Read more


Photo: File

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures drop on profit-taking; lean hogs fall

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell on Thursday on profit-taking after a previous session rally resulted in several contracts hitting new highs, traders said. CME February live cattle settled down 0.750 cent at 139.975 cents per pound. Feeder cattle futures, which were supported by a slump in Chicago corn futures, […] Read more

Photo: Canada Beef Inc.

U.S. livestock: CME livestock futures rise on supply concerns

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures climbed on Wednesday, as cash cattle prices firmed on concerns around meat supplies to meet anticipated demand going into next year, traders said. Cattle futures ended higher, as beef carcass cutout prices continued to firm and cash cattle traded higher, traders said. Cash cattle traded at […] Read more