Klassen: Feeder market grinds lower

Klassen: Feeder market grinds lower

'Is there no grain in this country?'

Compared to last week, prices for western Canadian yearlings weighing over 900 lbs. were down $4-$8 on average; yearlings weighing between 800-900 lbs. were down $2-$4; calves under 800 lbs. were down $8-$12, with the exception of Manitoba, where lighter calves traded $3-$5 below week-ago levels. Feedlot operators are asking, is there no grain in […] Read more

CME December 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle hit lowest price since June under supply pressure

December lean hogs close up off recent low

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell on Monday, with the most-active contract touching its lowest price since June under pressure from a larger-than-expected number of cattle on feed in the United States, traders said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a monthly report issued after the markets closed on Friday, said 11.7 […] Read more


CME December 2020 live cattle (candlesticks) and January 2021 feeder cattle (red line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog, live cattle futures up on bargain buying

USDA Cattle on Feed data tops expectations

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog and live cattle futures rose on Friday on some bargain buying ahead of the weekend. Hog futures snapped a three-session losing streak, the longest for the December contract in five weeks, while live cattle rebounded from its lowest since June 29. CME December lean hogs rose […] Read more

CME December 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures fall for third day in a row

USDA report expected to show more cattle on feed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell for the third day in a row on Thursday, with traders saying they expected the recent surge of Chinese demand for pork to fade as the world’s top consumer rebuilds its decimated hog herd. “I increasingly see more attention paid to deteriorating long-term export […] Read more


CME January 2021 feeder cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures mixed

CME lean hog futures ease

Chicago | Reuters — CME live cattle futures eased on Wednesday, retreating back toward seven-week lows hit on Monday after a bargain buying bounce fizzled as plentiful supplies remained the focus of investors. Feeder cattle futures were slightly higher following the front-month contract’s decline to its lowest since July 1 on Tuesday. “The cattle are […] Read more

(WPohlDesign/iStock/Getty Images)

Klassen: Weather, COVID, feed grains pressure feeder market

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were $2-$4 lower on average; calves traded $2 to as much as $6 below week-ago levels. Southern Alberta received its first snowfall of the season last week, which hindered demand for fresh replacements. Feedlots always incorporate a risk discount when the first snowfall of the year materializes, […] Read more


CME February 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs fall on profit-taking, cattle firm on bargain buying

Concerns for beef demand still drag on cattle futures

Chicago | Reuters — CME livestock futures were mixed on Tuesday, with hog contracts falling on a round of profit taking while cattle contracts firmed on bargain buying. The benchmark December lean hog contract faced pressure after hitting its highest since Sept. 13, 2019, while February live cattle, which had fallen for four days in […] Read more

CME December 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands and 100-day moving average. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures mixed, cattle drop

Technical selling pulls cattle futures lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures were mixed on Monday, with the nearby contract rising on strong export demand while deferreds eased on signs that China was making progress in rebuilding its decimated hog herd, traders said. Strength in the cash market supported the front-month December contract, which rose 2.3 per cent and hit […] Read more


CME December 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures retreat from 11-month high

Cattle futures down on beef demand uncertainty

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures ended lower on Friday on profit-taking and disappointment over export demand, after prices climbed to the highest level in 11 months. Strong domestic demand for pork continues to underpin hog futures, analysts said, with the most-active December contract surging 39 per cent on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Manitoba cattle sector gets COVID-19 AgriRecovery

Program to help offset costs from 'extraordinary feed period'

Manitoba cattle producers whose usual markets for finished cattle were temporarily out of reach this spring and summer may now be able to offset some of the resulting extra feed bills. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and her Manitoba counterpart, Blaine Pedersen, on Thursday announced the 2020 Canada-Manitoba Finished Cattle Feed Assistance Program, an AgriRecovery […] Read more