CME February 2023 lean hogs with 20- and 100-day moving averages and CME cash lean hog index (blue line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs firm with supplies in focus

Feeder cattle up on supply expectations

Chicago | Reuters — Lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange firmed on Thursday, erasing the week’s earlier losses as smaller supplies of market-ready hogs offset seasonal pressure. “Fundamentally, we know we’re fairly tight on supplies. We’re not getting expansion,” said Alan Brugler, president of Brugler Marketing. The CME February lean hogs contract added […] Read more

CME February 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

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

Hogs firm after five days' decline

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange firmed on Wednesday, supported by strong cash markets and a steady pace of processing. “Even though there’s a seasonal pullback for the next couple of weeks, it doesn’t look like cash wants to break,” said Scott Varilek, broker at Kooima Kooima Varilek Trading […] Read more


CME February 2023 lean hogs with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: February hogs fall on high supply, export demand concerns

Cattle futures up but seasonal pressures await

Chicago | Reuters — Lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange eased for a fifth consecutive session on Tuesday, pressured by a combination added seasonal supply and deflated demand as China faces protests over COVID-19 lockdowns. “This three-week period, we’re pushing a large supply of hogs through the system,” said Rich Nelson, chief strategist […] Read more

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Olymel to exit lard business, shut plant

Packer's St. Hyacinthe facility to permanently close

Pork and poultry packer Olymel is set to close the further processing plant it operates in its home town in Quebec as it exits the lard production business. The company, an arm of ag co-operative Sollio, announced Thursday it will close its St. Jacques Street plant at St. Hyacinthe, Que. effective Feb. 10, affecting 107 […] Read more


CME February 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle up ahead of monthly USDA report

Lean hogs mostly up in technical trading

Chicago | Reuters — Benchmark live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) rose on Thursday for a third straight session on steady to firmer cash cattle markets and position-squaring a day ahead of a monthly U.S. government feedlot report, analysts said. Most-active CME February live cattle futures settled up 1.15 cents at 155.4 […] Read more

Buying meat at a supermarket

Warning signs materialize for meat sector

Reading Time: < 1 minute There are plenty of flashing warning lights in Farm Credit Canada’s (FCC) latest outlook for the cattle and hog sectors. While prices are strong and expected to stay that way for a while, the two “could take a big step backwards, especially from the highs of 2021 – and it may be more a question […] Read more


CME February 2023 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (pink line) and CME December 2022 live cattle (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end mostly lower

December, February hog futures up

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures closed mostly lower on Monday on technical selling and worries about consumer demand for high-priced cuts of beef, traders said. Most-active CME February live cattle futures settled down 0.7 cent at 152.55 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Deferred contracts also ended lower, but the spot […] Read more

CME February 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME futures fall on grain rally

Beef cutout price drops

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) livestock futures slid on Friday as grain futures rallied, underpinned by strong commodities and equities markets, brokers said. The downward trend started when live cattle markets took a hit earlier in the day, when the feeder cattle traders began selling off their positions as corn futures firmed […] Read more


CME December 2022 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle firm as grain markets pressured

Hogs under seasonal price pressure

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures firmed at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) on Thursday, as grain markets came under pressure from investor profit-taking even as the U.S. dollar tumbled on news U.S consumer prices rose less than expected in October, brokers said. December live cattle settled 1.5 cents higher at 153.075 cents/lb. February […] Read more

CME December 2022 lean hogs with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs end lower, consolidate after rally

December live cattle futures flat

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures pulled back on Tuesday as the market consolidated after climbing nearly five per cent during the previous session, brokers said. CME December hogs closed 1.475 cents, or 1.7 per cent, lower at 85.575 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Wholesale pork prices were also lower. The U.S. […] Read more