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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures climb on tight supplies

Supply report also bullish for hog futures

Chicago | Reuters — CME live cattle futures firmed on Tuesday, supported by lower cattle supplies and the impact of cold weather on cattle weights, traders said. Winter weather last week across the U.S. Great Plains likely caused cattle to lose weight amid snow and below-freezing temperatures, said Brad Kooima, commodity broker at Kooima Kooima […] Read more

CBOT March 2023 soft red winter wheat (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average, MGEX March 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. March 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Freezing temperatures threaten winter wheat, lift prices

Forecasts of weekend rains in Argentina keep lid on soy, corn

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures climbed on Friday, gaining for a second consecutive week as frigid temperatures threaten winter wheat crops across the U.S. Plains and into the Midwest. Fresh export activity in soybeans and corn added support, though gains were limited by much-needed rainfall in Argentina that will boost the rival export […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: February live cattle lower on slaughter delays

Winter weather caps gains in hog futures

Chicago | Reuters — CME live cattle futures eased on Thursday, as harsh cold conditions delayed slaughter operations, analysts said. Summer month futures climbed to contract highs as traders anticipate lower cattle supplies, possibly exacerbated by icy conditions. “We’re seeing those prices in April push through the roof. We now have a December that’s bitter […] Read more

CBOT March 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans ease on South American rainfall

Forecasts of freezing weather in U.S. Midwest support wheat; corn near even

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures dropped on Thursday, pressured by South American forecasts for more rain which could relieve parched soy crops in Argentina. Corn and wheat weakened, holding on to some of the previous day’s gains as extreme winter weather threatens winter wheat crops in the U.S. Plains and Midwest. The Chicago […] Read more


Barley. (Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Alberta barley bids steady heading into holidays

MarketsFarm — The Lethbridge feed grain market is holding relatively steady heading into the holiday season, with ample imports of corn from the U.S. keeping a lid on prices. Reports out of Alberta’s feedlot alley peg the upper edge of delivered barley bids in the $430-$435 area, with feed wheat seeing similar prices. Feedlots are […] Read more

CME February 2023 lean hogs with 20- and 100-day moving averages and CME cash lean hog index (blue line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs firm on demand expectations

Live cattle follow retail beef prices higher

Chicago | Reuters — CME lean hog futures lifted on Wednesday, jumping to two-week highs on expectations that demand for market-ready hogs will perk up in the coming weeks, analysts said. “There seems to be a lot of optimism in buying for after the first of the year,” said Matthew Wiegand, Risk Management Consultant at […] Read more


CBOT March 2023 soft red winter wheat (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (green line), MGEX March 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. March 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat climbs on winterkill worries

Corn, soy firm on South American dryness

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures climbed on Wednesday, as forecasts for temperatures well below freezing across the U.S. Midwest threatened winter crops heading into the holiday weekend. Corn and soybeans inched higher, supported by firmer wheat and weather conditions in South America. The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) […] Read more

CME February 2023 lean hogs with 20-day moving average (pink line) and CME cash lean hog index (blue line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs ease on weaker pork cutout

Cattle futures down with slaughter pace

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group lean hog futures fell on Tuesday, pressured by falling pork prices, analysts said. “The product markets are so weak, I think it’s keeping the nearby under pressure,” said Altin Kalo, economist at Steiner Consulting Group. Carcass cutout values dropped $1.47, to $83.46 per hundredweight (cwt), according to the U.S. […] Read more


Lentils. (Seb_ra/iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: Tightening Canadian lentil stocks expected

Pea ending stocks more comfortable

MarketsFarm — Carryout stocks of Canadian lentils could tighten to their smallest level in seven years by the end of the current 2022-23 marketing year, according to updated supply/demand estimates from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. While lentil production of 2.3 million tonnes was up by 44 per cent from the drought-stricken 2021-22 crop, expectations for […] Read more

CBOT January 2023 soybeans with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans end higher with South America in focus

Wheat even; supplies from Black Sea region weigh against U.S. cold snap

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures added on Tuesday as traders watched South American weather, though prices could not break above resistance around US$15 a bushel. “We’re at a key level that’s stopped this market several times,” said Kristi Van Ahn-Kjeseth, chief operating officer at consulting firm Van Ahn and Co. “You get to […] Read more