CME December 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks, right column) with 20- and 100-day moving averages (brown and black lines) and CME cash lean hog index (pink line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs down on weak pork prices, macroeconomic fears

Chicago cattle also end lower ahead of report

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell nearly two per cent on Wednesday as falling wholesale pork prices and worries about the health of the global economy triggered a round of long liquidation, traders said. CME October lean hogs settled down 1.55 cents at 94.425 cents/lb. and most-active December hogs fell […] Read more


CBOT December 2022 soft red winter wheat (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2), MGEX December 2022 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. December 2022 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S, grains: Wheat climbs as Ukraine war escalation feared

Corn, soybean futures retreat

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures hit their highest in more than two months on Wednesday on fears of an escalation in the Ukraine war that has disrupted crucial Black Sea grain exports, but pared gains as worries about the health of the global economy pressured the wider commodities sector. Corn and soybean futures […] Read more

Security forces detain a demonstrator during a protest on Sept. 21, 2022 in St. Petersburg against a mobilization of reservists ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Social media video screengrab obtained by Reuters)

CBOT weekly outlook: War chatter part of market chaos

Stronger U.S. dollar weighs on futures

MarketsFarm — With the daily talk about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Scott Capinegro, president of Barrington Commodities at Barrington, Ill., has a special term for its effects on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). “I call it the Putin rally,” he quipped, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but lamenting the chaos the seven-month-old war […] Read more


CBOT December 2022 soft red winter wheat (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (green line), MGEX December 2022 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. December 2022 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat up on new concerns for Black Sea supplies

Corn, soybeans up on slow harvest

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures climbed on Tuesday after a day-earlier slide, underpinned by renewed fears about Black Sea supplies, traders said. Soybeans and corn also firmed, supported by slower-than-expected progress in the U.S. harvest. The most-traded wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) gained 63-1/4 cents to $8.93-3/4 a bushel, […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle firm on strong cash trade

Nearby hogs lower despite cash strength

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle strengthened on Tuesday, underpinned by strong cash markets and tight supplies of market-ready cattle, though recession fears limit gains, traders said. “We saw some pretty strong cash trade in the western corn belt yesterday,” said Alan Brugler, president of Brugler Marketing. “Our long-term bias is higher, […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Weaker Canadian dollar supports feeder market

Weather optimal for bringing in fresh replacements

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearlings traded steady to $2 higher on average while calves traded $2 higher to $4 lower. The calf market was hard to define due to limited numbers while larger supplies of yearlings were on offer in Manitoba this past week. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed […] Read more

CBOT December 2022 soft red winter wheat (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (green line), MGEX December 2022 spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. December 2022 hard red wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat falls on Russian production outlook

Exports underpin U.S. soybeans

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat fell on Monday on an expected increase in Russia’s crop that will compete with U.S. exports, already hampered by a strong U.S. dollar, traders said. Soybeans were underpinned by Chinese export demand, while corn ended up slightly after two-sided trade on broader economic uncertainty. Chicago Board of Trade most […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle mixed

Tight supplies underpin futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures were mixed to firmer on Monday, supported by diminished supplies of market-ready cattle that should be reflected in the U.S. Agriculture Department’s monthly Cattle on Feed report, due Friday. “It’s been a slow climb, but it’s also predicated on very large demand,” said Dennis Smith, […] Read more

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Manitoba pork industry grows despite ‘uncertainty’

Bacon plant, breeding facility show sector strength

MarketsFarm — The current state of Manitoba’s pork industry is evident in a pair of large investments within the sector, according to the general manager of Manitoba Pork. Cam Dahl, who was named GM of the provincial pork organization in February last year after previously working for Manitoba Beef Producers and Cereals Canada, cited two […] Read more