CME October 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures fall as packers’ profit margins in red

Lean hog futures show gains

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures fell on Friday, as cash cattle prices eased and packers continued to hemorrhage profits and remained reluctant to pay more for animals, analysts and traders said. Meanwhile, lean hog futures firmed as profit margins improved for pork processors. Limited cattle supplies kept a floor under the […] Read more

Swath grazing is an important part of the Wray Ranch’s overall plan. Tim Wray is seen here checking his cattle in the winter.

Wray family honoured for environmental stewardship

Irricana-area ranch earns ABP annual environmental award at Stampede Summit

Reading Time: 3 minutes The Wray Ranch near Irricana is the 2023 winner of Alberta Beef Producers’ environmental stewardship award. The operation is a century farm that, from 1910 to 1998, was a mixed farming operation with mostly annual cropland and some native pasture. In 1998, Doug and Linda Wray took over the operation and changed directions slightly by […] Read more


CME October 2023 live cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages and August 2023 live cattle (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle firm, hogs mixed

Cattle supply outlook overrides demand concerns

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures firmed on Thursday, buoyed by a round of technical support as the market remained near last week’s highs. Feeder cattle contracts also posted gains, while lean hog futures were mixed Traders said that tight supplies underpinned cattle futures prices despite demand concerns. CME August live […] Read more

“If you can achieve higher forage quality, you’re going to win on both fronts, basically. It’s just a matter of how we get there ... It can depend so much on the individual farm.” – Aaron Knodel.

Low emitting cow-calf farms move in step with profitability

The variability of the cow-calf sector means there are many levers to pull to increase financial, environmental sustainability, says researcher

Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A study benchmarking cow-calf profitability against greenhouse gas intensity suggests profitable farms tend to have lower emissions, but there’s a lot of room to work on both sides of the equation. “There’s a lot that we can do to provide support to producers who are willing to try things … and I […] Read more


CME October 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle up on U.S. supply worries

CME lean hog futures sag

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures strengthened on Wednesday as tight U.S. supplies continued to support the market, analysts said. Feeder cattle futures also advanced, while lean hog futures declined. The live cattle market is largely trading sideways in the most-active contract this week after finishing with strong gains on Friday, […] Read more

CME October 2023 live cattle with 20-, 30- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle steady to weak

Hogs mixed with demand in focus

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures were steady to weak, while hog futures were mixed on Tuesday, with the market pressured by demand concerns as the end of grilling season nears, traders said. August live cattle futures ended unchanged at 179.7 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Most-active October live cattle fell 0.525 cent, […] Read more


cow drinking water at a dugout

Temporary livestock water assistance available

Reading Time: < 1 minute Livestock and poultry producers impacted by water shortage and drought conditions can receive streamlined temporary livestock water assistance through Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (EPA). Producers who have an urgent need for water should contact EPA for support to identify alternative water sources and receive authorization for use under the Water Act. A fact sheet […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle firm on steady-higher cash

Lean hog futures regained after softening on Thursday

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures firmed on Friday, supported by underlying strength in the cash markets and tighter cattle slaughter, analysts said. August live cattle futures LCQ3 added 2.400 cents to 180.900 cents per pound. Most-active October live cattle LCV3 lifted 1.600 cents to settle at 182.900 cents per pound. […] Read more


(Geralyn Wichers photo)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle ease despite cash market support

Despite losses, supportive fundamentals remain for live cattle

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Wednesday, pressured by macroeconomic weight as a downgrade that stripped the U.S. of its top credit rating rippled throughout markets, analysts said. Despite losses, supportive fundamentals remain for live cattle. “We’re still going into smaller numbers,” said Joe Kooima, commodity broker at Kooima […] Read more

File photo of cattle in an Alberta feedlot. (Geralyn Wichers photo)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle firms on strong cash market

Lean hog futures eased after reaching fresh four-month highs

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures gained on Tuesday, helped by strong cash prices and technical support, analysts said. “Cash market is still hanging in there at $179 to $180 area. More than that in the north. So August was too big of a discount,” said Alan Brugler, president of Brugler […] Read more