Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures surged to a contract high on strong demand and technical buying on Tuesday, while cattle futures also advanced, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange April lean hog futures settled up 2.575 cents at 78.075 cents/lb. (all figures US$). The contract traded up to 78.225 cents, topping a previous
U.S. livestock: CME lean hog futures hit contract high
Cattle futures up on domestic, export demand for beef
U.S. livestock: Profit-taking hits live cattle futures
CME April hogs also down off Friday's high
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures weakened on Monday on profit-taking and as the market pulled back from a one-year high reached last week, traders said. Strong demand for beef has supported cattle futures recently, and beef prices continue to rise. Choice cuts advanced $1.82, to $235.77/cwt, and select cuts climbed $2.98, to
COVID-19 surge sliced U.S. demand for big Thanksgiving turkeys
Supply chains, often set months ahead of time, struggled to adjust ahead of the major U.S. holiday
Reuters – All summer, Greg Gunthorp slaughtered and froze 15- to 24-pound turkeys on his northeastern Indiana farm for Thanksgiving sales to retailers, restaurants and families across the Midwest. But as surging COVID-19 cases prompted U.S. cities and states to urge Americans to stay home just weeks before the holiday, customers swapped out orders for whole birds for smaller turkey breasts. As
U.S. pork packer Smithfield offers ultra-cold vaccine storage
COVID-19 vaccines need storage at -20 C, -70 C
Chicago | Reuters — Smithfield Foods, the world’s biggest pork processor, said on Thursday it had offered to help U.S. health officials distribute COVID-19 vaccines and store them in ultra-cold freezers that are in high demand to support a public vaccination campaign. U.S. states, cities and hospitals are scrambling to buy freezers that can safely
Tyson suspends staff as suit alleges managers set up COVID pool
Chicago | Reuters — Tyson Foods said Thursday it suspended employees without pay and hired former U.S. attorney general Eric Holder to conduct an investigation in response to a wrongful death lawsuit that alleges managers at an Iowa pork plant took bets on how many employees would catch COVID-19. The coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures sag as COVID surge threatens meat demand
Demand uncertainty also weighs on hogs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures slumped on Friday as soaring coronavirus cases raised expectations for lockdowns on commerce that will hurt demand for meat from restaurants, hotels and other venues, analysts said. Cities and states across the country have moved to re-impose restrictions to tame new spikes in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. Additional
U.S. grains: Soybeans up again on export demand, supply concerns
Markets recover after setback on Thursday
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain futures rose on Friday as soybeans traded near a 4-1/2-year high reached earlier this week on strong export demand and tightening domestic inventories. The soybean market appeared to be well supported at current prices, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture ignited a rally with a report on Tuesday that
U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures move up off one-month low
Lower corn, soy values support feeder cattle
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures rose on Thursday in a rebound from a one-month low reached in the previous session, while live cattle futures weakened. The hog market’s recovery carried futures to their highest level since Monday. Traders said the market continues to face pressure from large U.S. supplies and uncertainty over
U.S. grains: Soybean futures retreat off 4-1/2 year high
Technical selling adds pressure on corn futures, analyst says
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures pulled back on Thursday, a session after they hit their highest level in about 4-1/2 years, and corn futures retreated from their highest in more than a year. The markets took a breather after rallying on a U.S. Department of Agriculture crop report, issued Tuesday,
U.S. House agriculture leader loses election
Midwest farm sector unsettled by prospect it could lose its place at the table
Democratic U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, House Agriculture Committee chair, failed to win re-election in Minnesota on Nov. 3, a loss some agriculture leaders said could hurt the U.S. Midwest’s Grain Belt. Though Democrats retained control of the House and therefore will again chair the committee, Peterson’s exit could shift U.S. spending away from a region
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