California turkey farm quarantined after H5N8 detected

Chicago | Reuters -- A California turkey farm has been quarantined after confirmation of the first case of an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza strain in the Pacific Northwest, and in a commercial flock, the U.S. government said. The news on Saturday came just weeks after China banned U.S. poultry after an[...]

U.S. livestock: Hogs climb on short-covering before USDA report

Chicago / Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs closed higher on Tuesday on short-covering ahead of the Christmas holiday and before the U.S. Department of Agriculture's quarterly hog report at 2 p.m. CST (2000 GMT), traders said. Analysts expect the report, which will be released while Globex hog futures are trading, to show herd[...]


U.S. livestock: Feeder cattle climb before USDA report

Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Friday, on short-covering and positioning before the U.S. Department of Agriculture's monthly Cattle-On-Feed report at 2 p.m. CST (2000 GMT). Analysts expect the data to show high-priced calves prompted feedlots to buy fewer of them for fattening. Sluggish wholesale beef demand and uncertainty regarding prices for[...]

U.S. livestock: Live cattle contracts fall in choppy trade

Chicago / Reuters - Most Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts settled weaker in choppy action on Wednesday after investors squared positions on Christmas Eve, traders said. CME livestock markets will resume trading on Friday after closing early on Wednesday for Thursday's Christmas holiday. December finished 0.650 cent per lb higher at 162.500 cents, February[...]


Staff, hog shortages leave Canada's pork industry squealing

Winnipeg/Chicago | Reuters -- Shortages of hogs and packing plant workers in Canada, exacerbated by recent government restrictions, may severely cut hog processing and pork exports, helping to keep North American retail pork prices near record highs. Farmers in Canada, the world's third-biggest pork shipper, are also bracing for the spread of a deadly virus[...]

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle finish down, but off session lows

Chicago / Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures sagged Wednesday on profit-taking and fund selling, but strong wholesale beef values helped pull prices off morning lows, traders said. October closed down 0.200 cent per lb at 169.000 cents, and December was 1.025 cents lower at 166.750 cents. The morning's choice wholesale beef price, or cutout, climbed $2.49 per hundredweight (cwt) from[...]


U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures hit record high; hogs slide

Chicago / Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle reached a record high on Thursday, helped by futures' discounts to last week's cash cattle prices and short-covering after recent market losses, traders said. October, which will expire on Friday, closed up 1.500 cents per lb at 170.500 cents, and December was at 167.325 cents 0.575 cent higher. CME live cattle buying[...]