CME August 2020 live cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle down as slaughter recovers, beef prices sag

Hog futures mostly up on technical buying

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell on Friday, pressured by softening prices for market-ready cattle and declining packer profit margins as wholesale beef prices continue to slide, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) June live cattle futures settled down 1.825 cents at 93.9 cents/lb. and benchmark August fell 1.75 cents at 96.175

Increased slaughter activity revives optimism at auctions

Increased slaughter activity revives optimism at auctions

Chicago live cattle last week climbed to their best levels since early March

Cattle prices at Manitoba auction yards have shown some considerable improvement over the past month, as activity starts to slow down ahead of the summer and earlier disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have largely sorted themselves out for the time being. “It certainly has perked up,” Allan Munroe of Killarney Auction Mart said of



CME June 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Nearby lean hog futures slide as slaughter rebounds

CME live cattle up on bargain buying

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange nearby lean hog futures hit a six-week low on Wednesday as the U.S. slaughter pace continued to recover, generating pork supplies that pressured wholesale prices and packer margins, traders said. CME June lean hogs ended down their daily limit of 3.75 cents, at 48.65 cents/lb., while most-active July


CME June 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle sag as wholesale beef prices retreat

Slaughter counts rising 'much faster than anticipated'

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell on Tuesday, with the August contract hitting its lowest in nearly a month as the U.S. slaughter pace picked up, sending more beef into retail channels, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) June live cattle settled down three cents at 95.3 cents/lb., while most-active August ended

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market recovery continues

Strength in fed cattle prices the main driver

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were $6-$8 higher on average while calves were unchanged to $4 higher. Strength in fed cattle prices was the main factor driving the feeder cattle market this week. Alberta direct fed cattle sales were reported on a live basis from $150 to $153 f.o.b. the feedlot, up


CME July 2020 lean hogs with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs lower on China trade worries

CME live cattle close lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures fell Monday on worries that deteriorating relations between the United States and China, the world’s biggest pork importer, could inhibit U.S. pork sales to the Asian nation, traders said. China told state-owned firms to halt purchases of soybeans and pork from the United States,

File photo of a small greenhouse operation in Quebec. (ManonAllard/E+/Getty Images)

New pilot program for agri-food labour welcomed

Meat processors, greenhouse and mushroom growers, livestock producers get first crack at program

Ottawa — Federal officials hope a new pilot program will help stabilize ongoing labour issues in certain sectors of the agri-food value chain, while also providing citizenship to some foreign workers. Critics, however, contend more support is needed. “This pilot will help to ensure that farmers and processors have the much-needed skills, experience and labour



Demand returning to Manitoba cattle sales

Demand returning to Manitoba cattle sales

An increased pace in beef processing helped lift cash prices and futures

Slaughter and feeder cattle prices in Manitoba have recovered slightly from prior lows caused by processing plant shutdowns due to COVID-19. “Between when they bottomed out two weeks ago and now, we’re probably seeing a spread of about 30 to 50 cents higher,” said Tyler Slawinski, an auctioneer for Ashern and Gladstone’s markets. Slawinski credited the uptick in