CME July 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs sink to contract lows

Cattle futures up with beef sales, tight supplies

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures tumbled to contract lows on Thursday, as excess supplies and sluggish demand for U.S. pork fueled losses for a fifth consecutive session. Weak prices for pigs and high production costs continue to make it unprofitable to raise hogs, leading some analysts to project that producers will […] Read more



CME July 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog, cattle futures fall on technical selling

Cattle trade sees pressure from rising corn futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures fell on Tuesday on technical selling as the market moved closer to values in the cash market, traders said. Cattle contracts also were lower, with traders noting pressure from strength in corn futures. Recent declines in both cattle and hogs have done little to spur a […] Read more

CME July 2023 lean hogs with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures drop to contract lows on demand woes

CME cattle futures also lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures sank to contract lows on Monday, with the market under pressure from plentiful supplies and weak demand for pork at grocery stores and on the export market. “The story remains one of a slow-to-move product market,” brokerage StoneX said in a note to clients. Cattle futures […] Read more


CME August 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rally

Hog futures slide to new lows; USDA cattle report seen as neutral

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures rose on Friday in a bout of technical trading, as cash prices remained relatively steady and investors positioned themselves ahead of the monthly U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report, traders said. On the pork side, a second day of volatile trading across lean hog futures resulted […] Read more

CME August 2023 feeder cattle with 20-day moving average (red line, right column) and CBOT July 2023 corn (yellow line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures up ahead of USDA feedlot data

Hog futures mixed; U.S. pork export sales up on week

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rose on Thursday on technical buying and position-squaring ahead of a monthly U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report that is expected to show fewer cattle in U.S. feedlots compared to a year ago, traders said. CME June live cattle settled up 0.7 cent at 165.525 […] Read more


The Verkhovna Rada building, home to Ukraine’s parliament, in Kiev. (Cia.gov)

Ukraine lifts barriers to exports of some farm goods

Export licenses were in place to maintain domestic supplies

Kyiv | Reuters — Ukraine has removed barriers to the export of some agricultural commodities, imposed last year to prevent food shortages, in a bid to boost foreign currency income, its government said on Tuesday. The country introduced export licences in 2022 to protect food supplies after agricultural production was hit by Russia’s invasion. While […] Read more

CME June 2023 lean hogs with 20- and 50-day moving averages and CME cash lean hog index (blue line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs pressured by cheap cash prices, softer pork prices

Nearby live cattle higher, feeder cattle down

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures declined on Wednesday, snapping a three-session advance, pressured by a discounted cash hog market and declining wholesale pork prices, traders said. CME June lean hog futures settled down 2.325 cents at 84.875 cents/lb. and the July contract fell 2.575 cents to end at 85.55 cents […] Read more


CME August 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle inch lower, nearby hogs end higher

'Cutouts slowly start to lose ground here'

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange slipped on Tuesday, pressured by softening wholesale beef prices and a lack of bullish news, traders said. Cash cattle trade was quiet, leaving some traders to focus on beef prices. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) priced choice cuts of beef on Tuesday […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Lower beef production forecast drives feeder market higher

Feedlots factoring in lower feed grain values

Compared to the week ending May 6, western Canadian yearling prices were $2-$4 higher while calf values were up $2 to as much as $8 on average. The feeder market was well bid across all weight categories. Demand for grass cattle appeared to be more aggressive this past week. Yearling supplies will decrease over the […] Read more