CME January 2019 feeder cattle, with 20-day moving average. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rally after bullish USDA data

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures were higher on Wednesday, extending earlier small gains after government supply reports showed fewer-than-expected U.S. cattle supplies, traders said. U.S. Department of Agriculture monthly Cattle on Feed data showed 11.692 million cattle in U.S. feedlots as of Nov. 1. That figure was three per cent higher […] Read more


CME December 2018 lean hogs, with 100-day moving average. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs limit up on swine fever fears

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures surged on Friday and the three most active contracts closed up their daily trading limit on rising concerns about the spread of African swine fever in China, traders said. Technical buying accelerated gains, lifting several deferred-month contracts to life-of-contract highs. “African swine fever fears are […] Read more




(Darcy Maulsby/iStock/Getty Images)

Hog industry worldwide getting slaughtered in trade war

Beijing/Chicago/Carambei | Reuters – Ken Maschhoff, chairman of the largest U.S. family-owned pork producer, has watched profits fall as trade tensions rise between the United States and China. His company, The Machhoffs, has halted U.S. projects worth up to $30 million and may move some operations overseas. Investing in domestic operations now would be “ludicrous” […] Read more



China culls 200,000 pigs due to African swine fever – official

China | Reuters – China, the world’s top pork producer, has culled 200,000 pigs so far following outbreaks of highly contagious African swine fever in the country, a Chinese animal health official said on Friday. While that represents only a tiny portion of the nearly 700 million pigs slaughtered in China each year for sale as pork, restrictions […] Read more