(Canada Beef Inc. photo)

U.S. livestock: Brisk beef demand pushes CME live cattle higher

Chicago | Reuters –– Most Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts rose on Wednesday, driven by upward-trending wholesale beef values that may underpin prices for market-ready, or cash, cattle by Friday, traders said. Thinly-traded spot February, which will expire on Feb. 29, closed down 0.025 cent/lb. to 136.975 cents (all figures US$). April ended 0.65 […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Surging beef prices float CME live cattle higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts closed higher on Tuesday following a steep rise in wholesale beef values that could help underpin cash prices later this week, traders said. February closed 0.525 cent/lb. higher at 136.95 cents, and April ended at 135.5 cents, up 0.875 cent (all figures US$). The morning’s […] Read more


(Gloria Solano-Aguilar photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Pork market looks to improve by spring

CNS Canada — Canadian pork prices are feeling a modest bump upward as healthy U.S. exports clean up some excess North American pork supplies. Canadian slaughter-weight prices hit their lows in November and December — and since then, they have increased about 30 per cent, according to Brad Marceniuk, a livestock economist for Saskatchewan’s agriculture […] Read more

(Canada Beef Inc. photo)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle move higher with beef prices

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts settled higher on Monday, buoyed by the morning’s wholesale beef price turnaround, traders said. Buy stops and fund buying contributed to CME live cattle futures advances, they said. February closed 1.05 cents/lb. higher at 136.425 (all figures US$). April ended at 134.625 cents, up 0.675 […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle close mostly weak before USDA report

Chicago | Reuters — Most Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts settled lower on Friday, after investors tweaked positions ahead of the afternoon’s U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle on Feed report at 2 p.m. CT, traders said. February closed up 0.225 cent/lb. to 135.375 cents, April ended 0.425 cent lower at 133.95 cents and […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Cash price outlook extends CME live cattle gains

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts rose for a third consecutive day on Thursday, with help from fund buying and anticipation of strong cash prices by late Friday, traders said. February closed 1.05 cents/lb. higher at 135.15, and April ended at 134.375 cents, up 0.95 cents (all figures US$). So far, […] Read more



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Fund buying boosts CME live cattle limit-up

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures settled up by their three-cent-per-pound daily price limit on Tuesday, driven by short-covering and fund buying, traders said. February and April ended at 132.95 cents and 132.125 cents/lb., respectively. Live cattle’s trading limit will be expanded to 4.5 cents on Wednesday. “There was no rationale […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle fade before holiday

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell modestly on Friday, following this week’s cheaper cash prices and the potential for further declines next week, traders said. The CME will be closed on Monday in observance of the U.S. Presidents Day holiday. Packers in the U.S. Plains this week paid $128-$134/cwt for […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle tumble with cash prices

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell hard on Thursday, led by more disappointing prices for market-ready, or cash, cattle, traders said. February live cattle closed 2.35 cents/lb. lower at 130.125 cents, and April ended down 2.275 cents, at 129.525 cents (all figures US$). Cash cattle on Thursday morning in the […] Read more