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

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures down again

CME lean hog futures also weaker

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle and hog futures weakened on Friday in anticipation of a seasonal demand slowdown following the Labour Day holiday, traders said. The losses in the futures market stemmed from weekly declines in the cash markets. CME benchmark October live cattle fell 1.25 cents to close at 104.9 cents/lb., […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures extend losing streak

Hog futures edge higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle dropped for the sixth day in a row on Thursday, with weakness in the cash market that stemmed from a glut of supplies spilling over into futures prices, traders said. Traders shrugged off signs of rising demand from China, which made its largest weekly U.S. beef purchases […] Read more


File photo of a cow and calves on a farm in Nova Scotia.

Stockyard offers regional market opportunities for Atlantic producers

The new owners of Atlantic Stockyards, one of the few remaining auction marts in the region, are determined to grow their business by attracting more buyers and putting more cattle through the ring

For more than 60 years, the auction market at Murray Siding, N.S., near Truro, has been a mainstay of the livestock business in Atlantic Canada. Atlantic Stockyards Ltd. changed ownership in 2019 and although operating through the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t been without its challenges, new owners Scott and Natalie Dixon have plans to grow the […] Read more

CME October 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures drop as supplies assessed

'Maybe the cash cattle market is stalling out here'

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle and hog futures fell on Wednesday. The cattle market faced pressure from weakness in the cash market that stemmed from the ample supplies reflected in the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Cattle on Feed report issued on Friday. “It is the belief that maybe the cash cattle market is […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise as pork supplies shrink

Texas cash cattle prices down on week

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures rose to their highest level in nearly three months on Tuesday after government data showed that the reopening of pork plants after a rash of COVID-19 shutdowns had not boosted supplies. Cattle futures were lower, pressured by signs of weakness in the cash markets, traders said. […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Yearling prices on fire

Canada's cattle herd remains in contraction stage

Compared to last week, yearlings coming off grass traded $3-$5 higher; backgrounded yearlings were $1-$3 higher on average while calf markets were relatively unchanged. February and April live cattle futures closed marginally lower for the week; however, fed cattle basis levels from U.S. packers are very strong for winter and spring. This appears to be […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures fall as supplies grow more than expected

U.S. frozen pork inventory at nine-year low

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures fell on Monday, with the market under pressure from a government report that showed supplies were bigger than expected. The U.S. Agriculture Department’s monthly Cattle on Feed report on Friday afternoon showed July placements at 111 per cent of a year ago, above the average estimate […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Live cattle slide ahead of USDA report

Lean hogs pull back from gains

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell on Friday on profit-taking and positioning ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cattle on Feed report, released after the markets closed. CME lean hog futures also ended lower, correcting after two days of positive movement, as optimism over rising hog slaughter rates strengthened […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs up as slaughter pace reaches pre-COVID levels

Pre-Labour Day buying winds down

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures gained on Thursday as slaughter rates returned to levels not seen since processing plants closed from COVID-19 outbreaks among workers this spring. Live cattle futures fell as pre-Labour Day buying wound down and the industry awaited Friday’s monthly Cattle on Feed report from the U.S. […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures firm on wholesale strength

Hogs up as slaughter outpaces year-earlier period

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures gained on Wednesday as boxed beef prices offered support ahead of the upcoming holiday weekend, traders said. “It’s the main week for retailers to lock up their Labour Day supplies. That’s kept a floor under the cash market,” said Alan Brugler, president of Brugler Marketing. […] Read more