CME June 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and dark red lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures rise as grains fall

Hogs ease ahead of USDA data

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange rose on Tuesday with the benchmark June contract hitting a four-week top, led by a surge in feeder cattle futures and optimism about consumer demand for beef, traders said. CME June live cattle settled up 1.7 cents at 138.475 cents/lb. while May feeder […] Read more

CME June 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20- and 50-day moving averages (pink and dark red lines) and CME’s cash lean hog index (blue line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs climb on firm cash

Cattle futures end lower

Chicago | Reuters — Benchmark June lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange rose on Monday, setting a life-of-contract high on firm cash hog prices and expectations of tightening supplies. CME June hogs settled up 0.2 cent at 126.05 cents/lb., paring gains after reaching a contract top of 126.875 cents (all figures US$). The […] Read more


CME June 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs set new contract highs with supplies in focus

USDA shows more cattle on feed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures rallied on Friday, with most contracts setting new highs as strong prices for pork and concerns about supplies underpinned the market. Most-active June lean hog futures jumped 3.775 cents to finish at 125.85 cents/lb., closing above the high end of its 20-day Bollinger range after facing […] Read more

CME June 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures ease after hitting contract highs

Chicago cattle futures firm

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures were mostly lower on Thursday as traders locked in profits after many contracts rallied to fresh highs on Wednesday. Weak exports of pork added pressure to the hog market. Most-active June lean hog futures eased 0.9 cent to finish at 122.075 cents/lb. (all figures US$). The […] Read more


Barry Yaremcio is one of many grazing experts preaching patience this spring but he says a sacrifice pasture or seeding some winter cereals in spring for grazing later could be a fall back plan.

You don’t want to hear this — but delay grazing, say experts

Even good moisture this spring won’t easily overcome the effects of drought

Reading Time: 4 minutes If you’re a cattle producer, you may be counting down the days until you can turn your cows out on grass. But three experts are telling you the best thing you can do is wait. “Watch what the plants tell you,” said Grant Lastiwka, a forage specialist with Union Forages. “A perennial pasture has a […] Read more

CME June 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs rally on pork price, cash market strength

Cattle futures also up on day

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures rallied on Wednesday, with the most-active June contract jumping 2.4 per cent and hitting an all-time high, supported by rising pork prices and strength in the cash market. CME April lean hog futures rose 2.3 cents to end at 102.55 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Most-active June […] Read more


CME June 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 10-, 20- and 50-day moving averages (pink, brown and dark red lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures mixed

CBOT cattle futures weak

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures were mixed on Tuesday, with deferred contracts firming on expectations that supplies will remain tight until the summer, traders said. The front-month hog contract eased on follow-through selling after hitting technical resistance and closing well below its peak on Monday. Cattle futures also were weaker, pressured […] Read more

CME May 2022 feeder cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

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

Supply level cause for 'a little bit of concern'

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures fell on Monday as traders took positions ahead of a U.S. government report later this week that was expected to show burgeoning supplies. “There is a little bit of concern about excess supplies and large finishing weights,” said Rich Nelson, chief strategist with Allendale Inc. Hog […] Read more


CME June 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle rise on weaker feed values

Lean hog futures slip

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures firmed on Friday as nearby grain futures slumped, even as the cash trade continued to be disappointing and investors kept a close eye on diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, traders said. CME cattle futures were also supported as retail demand for beef perked […] Read more

CME June 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs, feeder cattle slide

Technical trading, higher grain values drag on futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs and feeder cattle futures fell on Thursday on a flurry of technical trading, as feed prices rebounded and investors scrambled to find stable footing amid continued volatility in commodity markets. Live cattle inched up, while cash cattle saw limited action in the southern Plains, with some […] Read more