Chicago | Reuters — A U.S. man with terminal heart disease was implanted with a genetically modified pig heart in a first-of-its-kind surgery, and three days later the patient is doing well, his doctors reported on Monday. The surgery, performed by a team at the University of Maryland Medicine, is among the first to demonstrate […] Read more

Maryland man recovering after ‘breakthrough’ pig-heart transplant
Hog's genes edited to reduce rejection risk

Swine fever found in wild boar in Italy
Reuters — African swine fever, a deadly hog disease, has been found in a wild boar in Italy’s Piedmont region, the regional government said in a statement on Friday. Tests confirmed the disease in a dead boar in Ovada, located about 120 km southwest of Milan in northern Italy, the statement said. African swine fever […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, lean hogs fall on weaker slaughter
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and lean hog futures fell on Friday as sluggish slaughter rates continue to drag on prices, traders said. “They’re both facing the same fundamental music – this slaughter disruption due to weather, labour tightness and COVID,” said Dennis Smith, commodity broker at Archer Financial. CME February […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures firm
Cash cattle prices provide support; lean hogs also firm with cash index
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures moved higher on Thursday, supported by cash cattle prices in the northern U.S. Plains, analysts said. “We’ve been under some pressure recently, but the cash trade was still at $138 to $140,” said Doug Houghton, technical analyst at Brock Capital Management (all figures US$). “That’s […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle down on lagging slaughter rates
Lighter supplies support lean hog futures
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased for a fifth consecutive session on Wednesday, pressured by lagging slaughterhouse production, analysts said. “We’re just not processing cattle fast enough. Some of the supply chain bottle necks that have affected the cattle market up to this point, they still remain in play,” said […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, lean hogs dip on regulatory concerns
Biden proposal seen improving producers' cut of price
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Tuesday, pressured by new federal efforts to address a lack of competition in the U.S. meat processing sector. The initiative, announced by U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday, includes funding for more independent meat processors, strengthening enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act, […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Nearby CME live and feeder cattle futures ease
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Monday, remaining near recent highs as back-month contracts climbed to new highs on expectations of tighter supplies to come. CME February live cattle futures settled down 0.775 cent at 138.925 cents/lb., though back-month contracts starting with August 2022 found new life-of-contract highs (all […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures touch four-week high
Chicago cattle futures ease
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures rose for the fourth straight trading session on Monday, as the market continued to see support from a government report last week that showed smaller-than-expected national inventory numbers, traders said. Most-active February hog futures settled the day up 0.425 cent at 83.65 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Earlier in […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures touch four-week high
USDA reports see smaller hog herd, slightly fewer cattle on feed
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures touched a four-week high on Thursday before retreating and may rise further next week because of smaller-than-expected national inventory numbers, analysts said. The U.S. hog herd totaled 74.2 million head on Dec. 1, down four per cent from a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hogs approach four-week high
Cattle futures also rise
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures jumped to their highest prices in about four weeks on Wednesday, while cattle futures also advanced. Futures could come under pressure early on Thursday from monthly U.S. Department of Agriculture data that showed frozen pork supplies on Nov. 30 were down eight per cent from the […] Read more