CME June 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20- and 50-day moving averages (pink and dark red lines) and CME’s cash lean hog index (blue line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs climb on firm cash

Cattle futures end lower

Chicago | Reuters — Benchmark June lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange rose on Monday, setting a life-of-contract high on firm cash hog prices and expectations of tightening supplies. CME June hogs settled up 0.2 cent at 126.05 cents/lb., paring gains after reaching a contract top of 126.875 cents (all figures US$). The […] Read more

File photo of a U.S. veterinary medical officer examining tissue samples for avian influenza virus. (Suzanne Deblois photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

High-path avian flu drops into southwestern Ontario

H5N1 confirmed on poultry farm

Ontario’s feather sector is moving to a “heightened biosecurity advisory” after highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed this weekend in a poultry flock. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Sunday it had confirmed high-path H5N1 in a flock in southern Ontario, a day after the Ontario Feather Board Command Centre (FBCC) published a report of […] Read more


CME June 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs set new contract highs with supplies in focus

USDA shows more cattle on feed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures rallied on Friday, with most contracts setting new highs as strong prices for pork and concerns about supplies underpinned the market. Most-active June lean hog futures jumped 3.775 cents to finish at 125.85 cents/lb., closing above the high end of its 20-day Bollinger range after facing […] Read more

CME June 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures ease after hitting contract highs

Chicago cattle futures firm

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures were mostly lower on Thursday as traders locked in profits after many contracts rallied to fresh highs on Wednesday. Weak exports of pork added pressure to the hog market. Most-active June lean hog futures eased 0.9 cent to finish at 122.075 cents/lb. (all figures US$). The […] Read more


Your calving records can help identify cows that are less likely to rebreed this summer, or that might fail to calve successfully next year.

Calving records will be especially valuable in 2022

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

Last month’s column profiled a beef cow productivity study that coincided with the massive 2001-02 drought that had an impact on most of Western Canada. That study got less attention than it deserved, because Canada’s entire beef industry became preoccupied with BSE in 2003. But research is an investment, and the lessons learned from research […] Read more

CME June 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs rally on pork price, cash market strength

Cattle futures also up on day

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures rallied on Wednesday, with the most-active June contract jumping 2.4 per cent and hitting an all-time high, supported by rising pork prices and strength in the cash market. CME April lean hog futures rose 2.3 cents to end at 102.55 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Most-active June […] Read more



CME June 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 10-, 20- and 50-day moving averages (pink, brown and dark red lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures mixed

CBOT cattle futures weak

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures were mixed on Tuesday, with deferred contracts firming on expectations that supplies will remain tight until the summer, traders said. The front-month hog contract eased on follow-through selling after hitting technical resistance and closing well below its peak on Monday. Cattle futures also were weaker, pressured […] Read more


Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA’s logo on a tower in Jundiai, northwest of Sao Paulo in southeastern Brazil, on June 1, 2017. (File photo: Reuters/Paulo Whitaker)

JBS says U.S. domestic and international businesses to remain strong

Sao Paulo | Reuters — Brazilian meatpacker JBS, which operates multiple food processing facilities in the U.S. and one of Canada’s largest beef packing plants, said its North American operations will continue to drive performance. Speaking at a conference call to discuss fourth-quarter results, management said JBS will benefit from strong U.S. domestic demand for […] Read more

CME April 2023 live cattle (candlesticks, right column) with CME April 2022 feeder cattle (dark red line, left column). (Barchart)

Klassen: Deferred live cattle futures underpin feeder cattle prices

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $2-$4 on either side of unchanged. Major feedlot operations in Alberta continue to carry large numbers of market-ready cattle. The backlog of fed cattle appears to be worse than earlier anticipated. Yearlings were featured at auction barns in the main feeding regions of Alberta. Feedlot […] Read more