(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle markets reflect mixed tone

U.S. corn offered into southern Alberta

Compared to the previous week, western Canadian yearling prices were $2-$4 higher on average while calves traded unchanged to as much as $8 lower. Larger feedlot operations were actively bidding for 800-plus-lb. feeders across the Prairies due to the limited supply. Lower volumes were available this past week which was supportive for the market. Southern […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Cattle rise on economic optimism, discount to cash prices

U.S.-China tensions keep hogs in check

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures rallied for a second straight day on Wednesday as easing coronavirus restrictions around the country bolstered optimism about the outlook for the economy and beef demand. U.S. stocks rose, with the S+P 500 closing above 3,000 for the first time since March 5, as further easing of lockdowns […] Read more


CME August 2020 feeder cattle with 10-, 20- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures follow equities higher

August feeder cattle close limit-up

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle and hog futures rallied on Tuesday in tandem with rising stock markets as optimism about developing coronavirus vaccines and the revival of business activity buoyed livestock markets battered by the coronavirus pandemic. Supportive cattle and meat supply data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture late last week showing accelerated […] Read more

Livestock feeders urged to call before making changes

Livestock feeders urged to call before making changes

Reading Time: < 1 minute The Natural Resources Conservation Board, which regulates confined feeding operations in Alberta, is asking feeders to call if they’re considering changes because of the pandemic and increasing livestock numbers. “If you find yourself facing short-term pressures related to COVID-19 and its effects, please contact the NRCB directly to discuss the situation before making any changes […] Read more



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

U.S. livestock: Live and feeder cattle futures slip

Thursday's cold storage data seen as disappointing

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live and feeder cattle futures closed lower on Friday after disappointing cold storage data the previous day and ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s cattle on feed report in the afternoon. Lean hog futures also dropped, as backups continue at slaughter facilities, traders said. The nearby CME live cattle […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: Hogs, live cattle gain against cash markets

Cold storage meat supplies down slightly, USDA says

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live hog futures gained on Thursday on short-covering as contracts strengthened against cash markets, traders said. CME live cattle futures firmed, while feeder cattle dipped ahead of Friday’s U.S. Department of Agriculture cattle on feed report. The nearby CME June lean hogs gained 2.475 cents, to 59.35 cents/lb., while the […] Read more

(JBSFoodCanada.ca)

JBS resumes second shift at Alberta beef plant

Out of 650 COVID cases at plant, 11 are 'active'

Meat giant JBS’s Alberta beef packing plant has resumed two daily shifts as of Thursday, as fewer than a dozen of its 2,600-plus employees are now sidelined by COVID-19. The JBS plant at Brooks, about 170 km east of Calgary, is “slowly returning to two shifts as of today,” the company said Thursday in a […] Read more


U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue holds a U.S. flag-themed face mask while speaking about the U.S. food supply chain as President Donald Trump listens during a COVID-19 pandemic response event at the White House on May 19, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Leah Millis)

President’s cattle call finds expected marks in U.S.

Trump suggests killing trade pacts with unnamed cattle-exporting nations

U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks Tuesday about imports of live cattle into the United States resonated predictably among that country’s various cattle producer groups. At a White House event Tuesday, flanked by U.S. farm and ranch leaders and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for a multi-billion-dollar COVID-19-related farm aid announcement, Trump said he “read yesterday where […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures slip as slaughter rises

CME lean hog futures firm

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell on Wednesday, as cattle continue to back up, despite slaughter plants’ coming back online, traders said. CME lean hog futures firmed despite rising kill numbers, as social distancing rules in plants keep slaughter below normal rates. The nearby CME June live cattle futures contract settled down […] Read more