Chicago | Reuters — Cheaper grain prices, firmer live cattle prices coupled with tight supplies and good pasture boosted Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle values into record territory on Thursday, traders said. CME August feeders ended at 199.825 cents per pound, up 1.05 cents, while the September contract closed up 0.75 cent at 200.25 cents/lb. […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME feeder, live cattle end higher on tight supplies
U.S. orders farmers to report PEDv cases
Des Moines | Reuters –– U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday ordered farmers to start reporting cases of a deadly pig virus and pledged over US$26 million in funding to combat the disease, pushing back against criticism of his handling of a widespread outbreak. Vilsack, speaking to a roomful of farmers at an industry […] Read more
PEDv disrupts U.S. trade more than expected, USDA official says
Des Moines | Reuters –– The impact of a deadly pig virus on U.S. trade is mounting, with 11 countries limiting imports of live hogs and one banning pork imports, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s top veterinarian said Wednesday. El Salvador, Guatemala and South Africa have banned imports of live U.S. hogs following the discovery […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs end lower on soft cash market, heavy weights
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog contracts closed lower on Wednesday pressured by soft prices in the cash hog market as heavy weight hogs also dragged on futures, traders said. The front-month June contract traded at a premium to the CME lean hog index of 110.34, which also weighed. The CME June […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end up on beef demand
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle closed higher on Tuesday as strong beef demand and expectations of higher prices in the cash market lent support, traders said. “When you have futures trading at a discount to the cash market, that usually creates a bullish situation,” Lane Broadbent, president of KIS Futures, said. […] Read more
Source of U.S. PEDv outbreak may never be learned: CVO
Chicago | Reuters — Investigators may never determine how a highly contagious virus that has killed an estimated 10 per cent of U.S. pigs entered the country for the first time last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s top veterinarian said Monday. The porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) has wiped out an estimated seven million […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle close mostly higher on spreads
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle closed mostly higher on Monday after investors sold June futures and simultaneously bought deferred months in a trading strategy known as bear spreading, traders said. Weak wholesale beef prices further pressured the June contract, they said. Monday morning’s wholesale choice beef price slipped 41 cents per […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Profit-taking undercuts CME live cattle futures
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle closed lower Friday, pressured by profit-taking following futures’ sharp rally on Thursday, traders said. “Investors are looking at the fact that futures overdid it to the upside yesterday,” said Oak Investment Group president Joe Ocrant, who also cited weaker cutout values. Friday morning’s wholesale choice beef […] Read more
Russia suspends U.S. pig imports over virus fears
Moscow | Reuters — Russia said on Thursday it was suspending pig imports from the United States due to concern about outbreaks of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv). The suspension takes effect on Friday, Russian state agricultural oversight agency Rosselkhoznadnor said in a statement. “This disease is spreading over more and more territory of […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures climb as funds buy
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle closed higher on Thursday, with support from fund buying after contracts broke through moving-average resistance levels, traders said. Short covering contributed to CME live cattle advances, they said. Futures drew more support from their discounts to this week’s prices for market-ready or cash cattle. Cash cattle […] Read more