
Tag Archives beef prices

Don’t expect steak sales for Father’s Day
Price impacts of COVID-19 on the beef industry were wide spread and retailers are still feeling the pinch
This Father’s Day, people probably won’t see sales on their favourite beef steaks—but they shouldn’t blame the butcher or retailer. Blame sits almost entirely on the coronavirus. COVID-19 had a catastrophic impact on beef production in North America. The spread of the virus resulted in several plant shutdowns or slowdowns, which in turn meant significantly […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures end lower ahead of weekend
CME lean hogs mostly up
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures retreated on Friday in a profit-taking and technical selling setback ahead of the weekend amid weakening beef prices and concerns about lower-than-normal summer demand as much of the economy remains partially closed. Lean hog futures clawed back earlier losses to end mostly higher as an early drop […] Read more

COVID-19’s continuing chaos
Prime Cuts with Steve Kay
As I write this on April 6, the April live cattle futures contract here in the U.S. has closed down its 450-point extended daily limit for the fourth day in a row. The contract closed at US$83.82 per cwt, thus losing 1,800 points in those four days. In contrast, the contract settled on February 21 […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle end mostly lower as beef prices ease
June hogs up, August lower
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed mostly lower on Thursday as wholesale beef prices began to retreat from historic highs as the U.S. slaughter pace improved, generating more meat supplies, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) August live cattle futures settled down 1.425 cents at 97 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Front-month June […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures dip after belly prices dive
Cattle down on ideas of beef prices peaking
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures fell on Wednesday on technical selling and signs that wholesale pork prices may have peaked after a massive run-up due to closings at meat-packing plants as COVID-19 sickened workers, traders said. The U.S. pork cutout value fell on Tuesday afternoon by nearly $9/cwt, to $112.82, with pork […] Read more

U.S. livestock: June live cattle limit up on soaring beef prices
Large supplies of hogs, cattle still loom over futures
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Tuesday, with nearby contracts rising the daily maximum, as surging wholesale beef prices and expectations U.S. beef and pork production would drop spurred speculative buying, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) June live cattle futures settled up 4.5 cents, the expanded daily limit, at […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cash cattle, futures up on beef packer scrutiny
Profit-taking continues to drag on lean hogs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rose on Friday along with cash prices as the federal government probed the beef market. The price of cattle in the cash market has rebounded since U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he had urged the federal Justice Department to look into allegations that the meatpacking […] Read more

Reduced shifts, closures see cash cattle prices sink
The Markets with Deb McMillin, from the May 2020 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Fed cattle Fed cattle cash prices in recent weeks have moved sharply lower as uncertainty in the market continues to drive live cattle futures lower. Reduced packing plant shifts and temporary closures across North America in recent weeks have pressured the market. Disruptions to consumers’ lives and livelihoods have shifted consumer spending. Product demand at […] Read more

USDA to probe surging beef prices versus falling cattle prices
Tyson says will co-operate with department's investigation
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Agriculture Department will investigate why a surge in beef prices because of coronavirus-related hoarding did not translate into higher cattle prices for farmers, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Wednesday. The investigation adds scrutiny on the small group of meat companies such as Tyson Foods and Cargill that dominate […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures drop as pandemic roils markets
Technical buying lifts hogs, feeder cattle
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures plunged to their daily trading limit on Monday — with prices for the front-month contract hitting the lowest seen since December 2009 — as beef inventories remain robust with much of the U.S. restaurant industry shuttered due to the pandemic. April live cattle were down the 4.5-cent […] Read more