Chicago | Reuters — South Texas ranchers are scrambling to relocate cattle from massive flooding spawned by Tropical Storm Harvey, with many hauling livestock up to the north of the state while others rush to move the animals to higher ground nearby. About 1.2 million cattle are located in a 54-county disaster area drenched by […] Read more

Harvey’s floods scatter cattle in Texas, swamp cotton fields

U.S. livestock: Supplies drag CME hogs to eight-month low
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures on Monday were weakened by falling prices for slaughter-ready, or cash, hogs along with softer wholesale pork values as supplies build seasonally, said traders. They said packers also have more livestock at their disposal as packing plants prepare to shut down for the upcoming Labour […] Read more

U.S. July feedlot cattle placements smaller than expected
Chicago | Reuters — Ranchers in July placed 2.7 per cent more cattle in U.S. feedlots than a year ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Friday, which fell short of average analysts’ forecasts. Dwindling profits for feedyards, after being paid less for their cattle by packers, discouraged them from buying calves for fattening […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle gain before USDA report, but off highs
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle posted modest gains on Friday after investors tweaked positions before the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle on Feed report at 2 p.m. CT, traders said. Analysts polled by Reuters expect the report to show 6.2 per cent more cattle entered feedlots in July than a […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle snap back from nine-month low
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle settled higher on Thursday after short-covering and bargain buying rescued futures from a nine-month low earlier in the session, said traders. Technical buying and positioning before the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle on Feed report on Friday provided more market support. August, which will expire […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle resume trek to nine-month low
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Wednesday hit a nine-month low for the fourth time in the past five sessions, led by seasonally soft wholesale beef demand and lower initial cash prices, said traders. Fund liquidation contributed to declines after deferred contracts slipped below key technical support levels, they said. […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle break four-session losing skid
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Tuesday settled higher for the first time in five sessions, spurred by short-covering and bargain buying, said traders. Some contracts punched through key technical resistance barriers, which triggered fund buying and pre-established buy orders. August ended 0.725 cent/lb. higher at 106.725 cents (all figures […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle at nine-month low for third straight session
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased to their lowest level in nine months on Monday as the seasonal supply build-up pressured wholesale beef prices for a third consecutive session, traders said. They said bullish traders worried that plentiful cattle numbers might again result in lower prices for slaughter-ready, or cash, […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle again sink to nine-month bottom, but off lows
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures pared losses on Friday after falling to their lowest level in nine months, led by this week’s steep cash price drop and seasonally downward-trending wholesale beef values, said traders. Bargain buying and traders covering their short positions lifted contracts from session lows, and futures remained […] Read more

U.S. northern Plains ranchers welcome hay lottery
Reuters — Hundreds of livestock ranchers in the drought-stricken U.S. northern Plains are embracing what organizers say is the first lottery designed to provide some much-needed relief to their operations. The prize? Tons and tons of hay. Ranchers in North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana have been suffering through the region’s worst drought in 30 […] Read more