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

U.S. livestock: Live cattle ease after week of rising cash cattle, beef prices

Lean hog futures continue higher

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange eased on Friday, as basis between cash cattle and futures narrowed, analysts said. “We had some profit taking, because the cash market finally surged higher,” said Cassie Fish, analyst and author at the blog, The Beef. Cash cattle traded as high as […] Read more

Percentage of average precipitation in Western Canada for the 90 days ending April 5, 2021. (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada map)

Manitoba forage, grassland growers burned by drought

MarketsFarm — An ongoing lack of precipitation, which is showing no signs of letting up in the coming months according to weather forecasts, is already causing problems for Manitoba’s forage and grasslands. Growers in the province have had to deal with three straight years with lower-than-normal precipitation. In 2019, multiple rural municipalities in Manitoba’s Parkland […] Read more



CME June 2021 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20- and 100-day moving averages (pink, red lines) and CME lean hog index (purple line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs strengthen on strong demand, firm exports

Live cattle down despite beef, cash strength

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange climbed higher on Thursday as tight supply and firm export demand offered support, analysts said. “A lot of that has to do with COVID and the pent-up demand we have, with more things opening up,” said Joe Kooima, commodity broker at Kooima […] Read more


Bob Lowe.

Bob Lowe re-elected as CCA president

Reading Time: < 1 minute Bob Lowe has been re-elected as president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. The Nanton rancher and feedlot operator took over the CCA job just as the pandemic arrived and while dealing with issues arising from COVID remains a priority, there are other matters on the organization’s plate. Those include making the Livestock Price Insurance Program […] Read more

CME June 2021 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs gain as swine fever worries open up export markets

Boxed beef values lift live cattle futures

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange jumped higher on Wednesday on fears of African swine fever rising across parts of Asia, as well as tight domestic supply as the U.S. rebuilds its hog herd after culling during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, analysts said. The Philippines reduced […] Read more


CME June 2021 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle up with consumer beef demand

Demand, cash prices also support hogs

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange climbed higher on Tuesday, supported by strong consumer beef demand and a firming cash beef market, analysts said. “The demand for protein is strong,” said Altin Kalo, economist at Steiner Consulting Group. It’s people getting ready for the spring and restaurants opening […] Read more

The closure of the American border to Canadian cattle in 2003 because of BSE caused billions in losses for ranchers and dairy producers. Nearly two decades later, a resulting class-action lawsuit is now before the courts.

Nearly two decades on, BSE class-action lawsuit goes to trial

The trial is expected to last until late June and it may be next year before a verdict is handed down

Reading Time: 3 minutes A long-awaited class-action lawsuit which could award Canadian ranchers and dairy farmers reparations for damages caused from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is finally before the courts. The class-action lawsuit against the federal government, initially launched in 2005, centres around cattle imported from the U.K. and Ireland from 1982 to 1990, when Ottawa banned the importation […] Read more


The USDA building in Washington, D.C. (Art Wager/iStock/Getty Images)

Klassen: Feeder market digests USDA acreage report

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively unchanged. Lower flesh yearlings appeared to trade $2-$3 higher in certain pockets of Alberta but replacements carrying excessive butter experienced severe discounts of $6 to as much as $10 in some cases. October and December live cattle futures made fresh contract highs, which underpinned […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Live cattle, lean hogs set new contract highs

June hogs turn lower before close

Chicago | Reuters — Strong meat demand pushed U.S. live cattle and lean hog futures to new contract highs on Monday. The cattle market benefited from increasing demand for beef as the U.S. is entering the summer grilling season, analysts said. Prices for choice cuts of boxed beef soared by $5.82, to $258.67/cwt, while select […] Read more