Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures climbed on Thursday, supported by higher cash cattle and wholesale beef prices, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange December live cattle futures settled 0.475 cent higher at 108.35 cents/lb. (all figures US$). CME feeder cattle futures gained 0.25 cents to end at 135.4 cents/lb. “After four weeks in […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures up with boxed beef prices
Domestic consumption supportive for hogs
A little here, a little there — how do you know when costs creep too high?
New cost-of-production program aims to offer cow-calf producers a better way to identify problem areas
Reading Time: 3 minutes Bad weather. Market volatility. The pandemic. There are a lot of things outside of your control as a cow-calf producer, but your cost of production doesn’t have to be one of them. “As the industry has been rocked by COVID-19, there is an opportunity for producers to examine what they can control — their cost […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures up on firm cash, export hopes
Lower supplies in cold storage support hogs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live and feeder cattle futures gained on Wednesday as strong export optimism supports production through the end of the year, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange December live cattle futures settled 0.5 cent higher at 107.875 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Market-ready cattle traded in the cash market at $107/cwt, up $1 […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures trim back on election uncertainty
Pork fundamentals still bearish on hogs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live and feeder cattle futures fell on Tuesday in a round of profit-taking ahead of an uncertain U.S. presidential election, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange December live cattle futures settled 0.725 cent lower at 107.825 cents/lb., after rising in each the last five sessions (all figures US$). CME feeder cattle […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market remains under pressure
Pre-election commodity trading in 'risk-off' mode
Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $2-$5 lower on average; calves under 650 lbs. appeared to trade $3-$8 lower with significant pressure on the weight category between 550 and 650 lbs. Moderate demand surfaced on quality yearlings but major operations appeared to back away from the cattle in the heavier weight […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle up with wholesale beef prices
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures inched higher on Monday as rising wholesale beef prices buoyed the market in light-volume trade, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange December live cattle futures settled up 0.25 cent at 108.55 cents/lb. (all figures US$). “That’s still the underlying factor — (cattle) weights are not as big as […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle edge higher in subdued trade
Chicago hogs end mixed
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Friday for a fourth straight session, supported by follow-through technical buying after Thursday’s strong close and brisk demand for beef, analysts said. But trading volume was thin as brokers waited for significant cash cattle trade to emerge. Fat cattle traded lightly in the southern […] Read more
The vaccine supply is more fragile than you might think
Beef 911: Supplies can run short for many reasons, so you need to be prepared for that possibility
Reading Time: 3 minutes A lot of disease prevention and maintaining productivity relies on vaccination, and we often don’t realize how much we rely on these vaccines until there is a shortage. With there only being a few large pharmaceutical companies, there may be few alternatives to turn to. With regulatory control being very strict and changes slow to […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures jump on tightening supplies
Lower wholesale pork values drag on hogs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Thursday on expectations that tight cattle supplies and rising demand for beef will buoy cash cattle markets, analysts said. Cash cattle traded lightly in the southern Plains this week at $106/cwt, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported, even with last week (all figures US$). […] Read more
U.S. lifts federal protections for gray wolf
Reuters — The Trump administration in the U.S. said Thursday said it will lift Endangered Species Act protections for the gray wolf, arguing the species had been brought back successfully from the brink of extinction. The move gives states in the continuous United States the authority to manage their local wolf populations, including by allowing […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
