CME August 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 10–day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle set one-week highs in rebound

Chicago lean hogs close lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rose on Tuesday, reaching one-week highs in a rebound from losses last week, as traders noted that meat companies have been slaughtering more livestock. The number of livestock being killed each day has recovered from April and May, when processors temporarily shut slaughterhouses due to massive outbreaks […] Read more

Livestock research gets even more complicated during pandemic

Livestock research gets even more complicated during pandemic

Cattle groups have tips for conducting on-farm research — two pages’ worth

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Beef Cattle Research Council, and Canadian Beef Breeds Council has put together a two-page list of guidelines to follow if research is being conducted on your ranch or feedlot. Topping that list is: “Consider postponing on-farm research activities that require more than one person or interaction with farm operators whenever possible […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Canadian feeder market divorces from U.S. values

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged. Lower volumes were on offer across the Prairies and the quality was quite variable at smaller sales. Many auction barns are in summer mode; however, there were decent volumes in the major feeding regions of Alberta. Strong feedlot demand was evident on quality […] Read more

Bayer’s cross symbol hangs in a terminal at Frankfurt International Airport. (Typhoonski/iStock Editorial/Getty Images)

Elanco gets EU’s conditional antitrust OK for Bayer deal

Approval calls for sale of Vecoxan brand, among others

Reuters/Staff — Elanco Animal Health secured antitrust clearance on Monday from the European Union to buy Bayer’s veterinary drugs unit, after pledging to sell some products to address competition concerns about the US$7.6 billion deal. The European Commission said the companies will sell either Elanco or Bayer’s products or those in the pipeline, including licenses, […] Read more


CME June 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle stabilize, beef prices fall further

Technical buying supports CME lean hogs

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures stabilized on Monday after falling last week as beef prices weakened, traders said. The market is expected to remain under pressure as beef production continues to recover from disruptions in April and May linked to coronavirus outbreaks among workers at meatpacking plants. Meat processors slaughtered an estimated […] Read more

A New Hope Group company video shows a modern hog barn. New Hope Group, one of China’s biggest feed and livestock producers, says it’s one of numerous well-financed companies that are quickly rebuilding the country’s hog herd. newhopegroup.com

China says it’s winning the battle against African swine fever

When processing returns to normal, Chinese demand — if it continues — could lift battered markets here

Reading Time: 3 minutes Chinese hog industry officials say the country is poised to put African swine fever behind it as early as next year. But a leading Canadian authority says that may be premature. The fatal pig disease devastated China’s hog herd — the world’s largest — reducing it by around half last year and prompting the government to […] Read more


Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council chair and Exceldor vice-president Joel Cormier addresses the Commons standing committee on agriculture on May 29. (Video screengrab from Parl.gc.ca)

COVID concerns weigh on chicken farmers, processors

Sales crashed on lack of foodservice business

Ottawa — Chicken Farmers of Canada say they’ve faced a “sharp decline” in sales as a result of a significant drop in food services, which represents roughly 40 per cent of their market. CFC chair Benoît Fontaine warned federal MPs as much during a virtual meeting of the Commons standing committee on agriculture and agri-food […] Read more

CME August 2020 live cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle down as slaughter recovers, beef prices sag

Hog futures mostly up on technical buying

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell on Friday, pressured by softening prices for market-ready cattle and declining packer profit margins as wholesale beef prices continue to slide, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) June live cattle futures settled down 1.825 cents at 93.9 cents/lb. and benchmark August fell 1.75 cents at 96.175 […] Read more


CME December 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle firm on economic optimism

CME lean hogs close mostly higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures firmed for a second day on Thursday on technical buying and optimism that the U.S. economy may be on the upswing, analysts said. However, gains in nearby contracts trailed those in deferred months as a backlog of market-ready cattle and falling wholesale beef prices hung […] Read more

CME June 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Nearby lean hog futures slide as slaughter rebounds

CME live cattle up on bargain buying

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange nearby lean hog futures hit a six-week low on Wednesday as the U.S. slaughter pace continued to recover, generating pork supplies that pressured wholesale prices and packer margins, traders said. CME June lean hogs ended down their daily limit of 3.75 cents, at 48.65 cents/lb., while most-active July […] Read more