Reading Time: 6 minutes The effect of the arid spring and the blistering July heatwave will be felt “for years to come.” “On a scale of one to 10, I’d put this at a 10 — it’s extremely severe,” said Melanie Wowk, chair of Alberta Beef Producers. “The herd will shrink — not just out of this province, but […] Read more
DISASTER: Hope dries up along with the pastures and fields
Everyone is hurting but the fallout for the cattle sector may be felt for years to come
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures gain
Medium-, long-term supplies tighten
Chicago | Reuters — CME feeder cattle futures firmed on Friday, bolstered by lower corn and wheat markets that may translate into eased feed costs, traders said. CME live cattle also gained and are expected to firm next week as the trade digests the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly cattle on feed report released after […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle up on export demand
CME lean hog futures mixed
Chicago | Reuters — CME cattle futures firmed on Thursday, supported by strong export demand for U.S. supplies, traders said. Hog futures were narrowly mixed, with the nearby contract firm on good weekly exports while deferreds eased on technical selling. CME August lean hog futures gained 0.075 cents to 106.65 cents/lb., while most-active October dipped […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hog contracts end firm
Chicago | Reuters — CME cattle and hog futures rose on Wednesday, supported by concerns about near-term supplies, traders said. Analysts were expecting a U.S. Agriculture Department report on Friday to show that the number of cattle on feed as of July 1 was 99 per cent of the year-earlier amount. Placements during June were […] Read more
‘Time is ticking’ on drought response for beef cattle sector
'We need answers like yesterday'
As Canada’s beef farmers and ranchers face drought, industry leaders are trying to find ways to secure feed and help those forced to sell rebuild their herds. B.C. ranchers are dealing with high temperatures that have “parched the grass that was there,” Kevin Boone, general manager of B.C. Cattlemen’s Association, said during a Canadian Cattlemen’s […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs firm on strong pork demand
October live cattle follow beef prices lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures gained on Tuesday on short-covering and continued firmness in the wholesale pork market, traders said. “August seems like its anchored by what’s going on in the cutout,” said Altin Kalo, economist at Steiner Consulting Group. “They’ve been surprised by the strength in the pork cutout.” […] Read more
What’s the latest news on cattle and carbon?
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Beef Cattle Resource Council has created a new primer on cattle and greenhouse gases. The ‘Beef Cattle & The Carbon Cycle’ web page, for example, looks at carbon sequestration on grasslands and why they’re a more stable carbon sink than forests but also why it’s hard to say with precision how much carbon is […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder market stays firm
Compared to last week, western Canadian prices for yearlings weighing 800 lbs. and over were unchanged; however, calves and yearlings in the 600- to 800-lb. category traded steady to $3 higher. The calf market was hard to define due to small groups of various quality. Strength in deferred live cattle futures along with the weaker […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle firm on tighter supplies
October hogs down on supply expectations
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle futures climbed on Monday, as supplies tightened in the northern U.S. Plains, traders said. “You’ve got a lot of empty yards,” said Scott Varilek, broker at Kooima Kooima Varilek Trading Inc. “We don’t have a lot of large supplies, large runs. You’re going to have to […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Firm cash markets lift hog futures
Cattle futures extend slide
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures closed higher on Friday as firm U.S. cash markets and rising pork prices underscored tight hog supplies, analysts said. News of the first confirmed cases of African swine fever in farmed pigs in Germany added support, raising uncertainty about pork export flows. However, exports of […] Read more