Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished higher for a fifth straight session on Monday, fuelled by last week’s better-than-expected cash prices, traders said. Packers paid $163 to $165 per hundredweight (cwt) for market-ready or cash cattle in the U.S. Plains on Friday, up from $161 to $162.50 the previous week, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle up again on cash prices, USDA report
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle rise before USDA report
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed firm on Friday, partly on positioning ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle on Feed report. Analysts expect the data at 2 p.m. CT to show decreased cattle placements in February compared with a year ago. April closed 0.35 cent per pound […] Read more
Olymel hog plant workers hit the bricks in Quebec
Unionized workers at Olymel’s hog slaughter and processing plant in Quebec’s Beauce region have walked off the job and rejected the meat company’s “final” contract offer. Olymel’s corporate communications spokesman Richard Vigneault confirmed the workers, represented by CSN (Confederation des syndicats nationaux), went on strike Wednesday evening. CSN, in a release Thursday, said 841 of […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hog futures hit five-year low as supply trumps demand
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures sank to their lowest level in five years on Thursday, given ample supplies versus slack pork demand, said traders and analysts. “Pork demand never recuperated from the high prices we had in the past,” said EBOTTrading.com senior analyst John Kleist. Pork demand is compounded by […] Read more
Olymel hog plant staff approve strike mandate
Updated, March 19 — Olymel has tabled a “final comprehensive offer” for unionized staff at its Vallee-Jonction, Que. hog slaughter plant after the workers gave negotiators a strike mandate. The meat packing arm of Quebec’s Coop Federee said Wednesday it’s at an “impasse” with its workers, represented by the Confederation des syndicats nationaux (CSN), due […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle close higher, hogs lower
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed sharply higher on Wednesday, with April and June up by the three-cents-per-pound price limit, led partly by their discounts to this week’s cash price expectations, traders said. April and June finished at 156.575 and 148.475 cents/lb., respectively (all figures US$). Futures’ limit will be […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle turn up on beef prices, hogs mixed
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Tuesday erased some of Monday’s losses, supported by short-covering in response to strong wholesale beef values, traders said. April closed up 0.375 cent per pound, to 153.575 cents, and June 0.5 cent higher at 145.475 cents (all figures US$). Tuesday morning’s choice wholesale beef […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs edge up, live cattle end lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs ended slightly higher on Monday, ending a seven-day losing streak, supported by stronger wholesale pork product prices while cash hog prices weighed, traders said. April closed just 0.1 cent per pound higher at 62.2 cents, while May ended unchanged at 71.425 cents (all figures US$). Monday […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hog futures end weaker, but off lows
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs extended losses for a seventh consecutive session Friday on downward-trending cash and wholesale pork prices, traders said. April closed 0.2 cent per pound weaker at 62.1 cents, and May 0.825 cent lower at 71.425 cents (all figures US$). Friday morning’s average market-ready or cash hog price […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hog futures pare losses but remain weaker
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs closed lower for a sixth straight session on Thursday, and set fresh contract lows, plagued by a host of bearish fundamentals, traders said. April closed 1.825 cents per pound lower at 62.3 cents, and earlier made a new contract low of 61.125 cents in electronic trading […] Read more