It’s that time of year when available supplies start to decline. At the same time, demand is limited. Most backgrounding operators have sufficient numbers and demand for grassers is waning. Ontario interest was noted in Manitoba and Eastern Saskatchewan, which appeared to sustain prices near last week’s levels.

Klassen: Feeder cattle market takes defensive tone

U.S. livestock: Live cattle retreat on heavy supplies, weak cash market
Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures eased on Monday on ample supplies of market-ready cattle and expectations for flat to lower cash cattle sales this week, traders and analysts said.

U.S. grains: Chicago wheat hits 9-month highs on Russian crop losses
Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures rose on Monday, hitting nine-month highs on worries about crop losses in top-exporter Russia after multiple nights of frosty weather in key regions.

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures turn higher, feeder cattle lower
Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle futures were mixed on Friday, with live cattle contracts turning higher and a rally in Chicago corn futures Cv1 pressuring most feeder cattle contracts lower.

U.S. grains: Corn climbs as USDA projects US stocks below expectations
Chicago corn futures advanced on Friday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projected U.S. stockpiles of the grain below market expectations.

U.S. livestock: Livestock futures turn lower amid choppy trading
Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle futures turned lower on Thursday amid a day of sideways and choppy trading, as wholesale beef prices dropped and cash cattle markets saw limited activity.

U.S. grains: Wheat climbs as frosts cause state of emergency in Russia
Chicago wheat futures rose on Thursday as Russia declared a state of emergency in key grain-growing regions due to frosts, while soybeans and corn fell ahead of a monthly U.S. Department of Agriculture supply-and-demand report due on Friday.

U.S. grains: CBOT grains, soybean futures end lower ahead of USDA reports
Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures fell on Wednesday despite weather risks in top exporter Russia, highlighting the size of its supply as the country continues to dominate global export markets.

CBOT Weekly: Focus on weather interrupted by USDA report
A grain rally at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) during the week ended May 8 has seemed to run out of steam.

U.S. livestock: Live cattle, lean hogs rise on technical buying
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures firmed on Tuesday on technical buying, while lean hog contracts ended higher in a technical and short-covering rebound following four days of declines.