U.S. livestock: CME hogs end firm in choppy action before USDA report

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures settled firmer on Friday after a volatile day of trading before the highly anticipated U.S. Department of Agriculture quarterly hog report at 2 p.m. CT. Analysts’ estimates for USDA’s Friday report varied widely, reflecting uncertainty about how much the data will account for the impact of […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hogs limit-up on record-high cash prices

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures on Thursday jumped to their three-cents daily price limit, ignited by record-high prices for slaughter-ready or cash hogs, traders and analysts said. The morning’s hog price at the closely watched Iowa/Minnesota market surged $4.70 per hundredweight (cwt) from Wednesday to a record-high $131.49, according to the […] Read more


U.S. livestock: Bargain hunters help CME hogs pare losses

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures turned higher on Wednesday, supported by bargain hunting and short covering after 2-1/2 days of losses, traders and analysts said. Investors cited futures’ discount to CME’s hog index that touched a record high at 125.04 cents, surpassing the March 21 record of 122.57 (all figures US$). […] Read more






U.S. livestock: CME live cattle slip before USDA report

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Friday fell modestly as investors tweaked positions before the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle-on-Feed report at 2 p.m. CT, traders said. Analysts expect Friday’s data to show increased cattle placements last month as profitable margins allowed feedlots to bring in more calves for […] Read more

Russia allows U.S. pork imports from Chinese-owned Smithfield

Moscow | Reuters — Russia has allowed U.S. pork imports from two firms of Chinese-owned producer Smithfield Foods after it received additional guarantees, Russia’s veterinary watchdog (VPSS) said on its website. Russia banned most meat imports from the U.S. early last year because of concerns over the use of the feed additive ractopamine. [Related story] […] Read more