“In no way are we experiencing increases in our calf prices or the fat prices because of the increase at the grocery store.” – Melanie Wowk.

Cattle producers have the beef but aren’t getting the bucks

Producers are used to the cattle cycle but this one is extreme — and extremely painful

Reading Time: 4 minutes Beef prices are sky high, but that money is not trickling down into the hands of cattle producers. “I’ve been getting lots of calls from producers on why there’s such a difference on the price at the packer level and at the retail level,” said Melanie Wowk, chair of Alberta Beef Producers. “Our prices at […] Read more

The number of breeding cows in the U.S. has dropped by a million head, which is one of the factors that’s been driving wholesale beef prices higher.

Cattle producers struggle but beef suppliers are doing just fine

Wholesale beef prices at record levels but those strong prices haven’t made their way to producers

Reading Time: 3 minutes The good news is that beef prices are extremely strong, even in the face of record beef production in North America. “We have record-high wholesale beef prices right now,” CANFAX manager and senior analyst Brian Perillat said at the recent (and virtual) Canadian Beef Industry Conference. Unfortunately, cattle prices are just not responding. “That’s been […] Read more


BBQ season arrives with a bang

BBQ season arrives with a bang

Reading Time: < 1 minute “On fire” and “sizzling” are terms being used to describe meat prices. “Wholesale beef and pork prices this spring have seen incredible strength,” Canfax said in a market report earlier this month. “Except for last year when wholesale beef prices doubled due to a shortage of supplies, cut-out prices at current levels had not been […] Read more

CME February 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle advance in bargain-buying bounce

CME lean hogs drop

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures firmed for a second straight day on Thursday on bargain buying and speculative buying after prices hit 2-1/2 week lows earlier this week. Futures firmed despite lower cash cattle prices and tumbling beef prices as packer demand held stable and processing margins remained profitable. “With the early […] Read more


CME February 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures up two per cent

U.S. feedlot data, beef prices supportive

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures closed higher on Monday, buoyed by Friday’s supportive monthly Cattle on Feed report, rising wholesale beef prices and strength on Wall Street tied to hopes for a COVID-19 vaccine, traders said. “All of the above (suggest) optimism for the meat market,” said Jason Roose, analyst and broker with […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs up on lower-than-expected inventory

CME live cattle follow cash cattle lower

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures climbed on Wednesday as traders grappled with mounting confusion on lower-than-expected slaughter rates, traders said. Wednesday’s daily U.S. hog slaughter was 489,000 head — or 2,000 fewer than the same period last year, according to data published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For the week to […] Read more


CME December 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rebound on wholesale strength

Softening cash market drags on hog futures

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rebounded on Tuesday, correcting after the biggest drop since June 30, amid a stronger wholesale market, traders said. Lean hogs stepped back for a second day, reflecting a softer cash market, while feeder cattle followed the cash market higher. Chicago Mercantile Exchange December live cattle futures added […] Read more

CME December 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures end up on firm cash trade

Lean hog futures close mixed

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed modestly higher on Friday, supported by strength in cash cattle markets this week, but uncertainty about beef demand in the coming months capped rallies, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange October live cattle futures settled up 0.575 cent at 107.35 cents/lb. and December rose 0.525 cent to […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures fall as China’s hog herd rebounds

CME December live cattle rise

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures fell on Wednesday, as the futures market continues to cool in the wake of last week’s rally and on news that the size of China’s hog herd is quickly growing. Hog futures soared last week after Germany reported its first case of African swine fever (ASF) and China […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs climb on bullish pork export prospects

Live cattle continue following hogs higher

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures closed higher on Friday for a second session on expectations of increased export demand for U.S. pork after rival supplier Germany confirmed a case of African swine fever in a wild boar. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) October lean hog futures settled up 2.2 cents at 66.575 cents/lb. […] Read more