London | Beijing | Reuters – China is scouring the world for meat to replace the millions of pigs killed by African swine fever (ASF), boosting prices, business and profits for European and South American meatpackers as it re-shapes global markets for pork, beef and chicken. The European Union, the world’s second largest pork producer […] Read more

China reshapes global meat markets as swine fever rages

U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise on hopes for Chinese pork import tariff rollback
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. lean hog futures closed mostly higher on Thursday on renewed hopes for accelerated U.S. pork sales to China after officials from both countries said an interim trade deal could include a phased rollback of tariffs. The hog market has been highly sensitive to any signs of easing trade tensions between […] Read more

China’s pork output to fall by at least 20 percent in 2019: FAO
Paris | Reuters – African swine fever (ASF) will cut pork output in China, the world’s largest producer, by at least 20 percent in 2019, the United Nations’ food agency said on Thursday, doubling the decline it had expected six months ago. The disease has slashed China’s hog herd since August 2018, pushing Chinese pork […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures retreat as interim China trade deal delayed
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. lean hog futures retreated on Wednesday, surrendering nearly all of the prior session’s strong gains on worries about U.S. pork exports to China after a senior White House official said a “phase one” trade deal with the world’s top pork consumer could be delayed. The delay followed news that Canada […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs jump in short-covering, technical bounce
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. lean hog futures rallied on Tuesday in a technical-buying and short-covering bounce from recent lows, underpinned by hopes for accelerated pork sales to China amid surging prices in the world’s largest pork-consuming country, analysts said. Pork prices have surged to record highs in China as African swine fever has decimated […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle climb to new six-month peak on rising cash market
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. live cattle futures scaled a six-month high on Monday, propelled by firming cash cattle and beef prices and strong packer margins, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) December live cattle settled up 0.550 cent at 120.075 cents per pound, its highest level since April 25. February futures gained 0.375 cent […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle set six-month high on fund buying, firm cash prices
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. live cattle futures shot to a six-month high on Friday and feeder cattle reached their highest prices since May on fund buying and strength in the cash market, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) December live cattle settled up 2.3 cents at 119.525 cents per pound after reaching 119.7 cents, […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures retreat from multi-month highs
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. cattle futures fell on Thursday in a turnaround from multi-month highs reached the previous session. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) December live cattle ended 1.075 cents lower at 117.225 cents per pound after reaching 118.600 cents on Wednesday, its highest since April 25. CME most-active January feeder cattle futures slipped 0.125 […] Read more

No country immune to risk of African swine fever spreading: OIE
Paris | Reuters – African swine fever will spread further across Asia where it has devastated herds, and no country is immune from being hit by the deadly animal virus, the head of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Wednesday. The disease, which has hit the world’s top pork producer China hard, […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures jump on fund-driven buying
Chicago | Reuters – U.S. live cattle futures rose more than 1 percent on Wednesday to fresh multi-month highs and feeder cattle futures surged 2 percent on what traders said was a combination of fund-driven buying and signs of strength in the cash cattle market. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) December live cattle ended 1.475 cents […] Read more