Some Manitoba cattle producers seem hesitant to market cattle right after the holiday break.

More cattle auction markets reopen next week

Don’t expect cattle to come rushing in at fall-run levels

More Manitoba cattle auctions resume weekly sales as January progresses. Gladstone Auction Mart auctioneer Tyler Slawinski said it’s likely the cattle heading to sales across the province won’t be as numerous as they were during the fall run. “I don’t think there will be a big rush in cattle moving. Guys are going to move

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

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs end mixed, cattle mostly lower

Corn's rally put pressure on feeder cattle futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures ended mixed on Thursday, with actively traded nearby months down on weak pork prices and dull demand, while deferred contracts rose on expectations for tighter supplies in coming months, traders said. The February hog contract was down for the 10th time in 11 sessions and


CME February 2023 lean hogs with 20-day moving average (pink line) and CME cash lean hog index (purple line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs drop as pork cutout sinks to near two-year low

Cattle futures also follow beef values lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell on Wednesday for the ninth time in 10 sessions as weak cash hog prices and lower pork values dragged the market to a fresh three-month low, traders said. Pork packer margins have eroded and the closely followed cash wholesale pork cutout value fell on



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market looks upward

Quality of available cattle contributes to volatility

Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were quite variable. Compared to three weeks ago, Alberta prices were steady to $2/cwt higher while in Saskatchewan, prices were $8-$10/cwt higher on average with lighter-weight cattle jumping as much as $15. For example, in central Alberta, higher-quality 800-lb. steers were trading from $230 to $235 and 600-pounders were valued

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

U.S. livestock: CME hogs up off three-month low on bargain buying

Chicago cattle futures also gain

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures bounced from a three-month low on Monday and settled higher for the first time in eight sessions in a technical and bargain-buying rally to start the first full trading week of the year. Cattle futures also gained on improved packer demand following recent weeks of


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

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs extend slide to three-month low

Cattle also lower; "no urgency in this market right now"

Chicago | Reuters — CME lean hog futures sank to a three-month low and closed weaker for the seventh consecutive session on Friday on concerns about weak demand, brokers said. An increase in hog weights also hung over the market, after recent winter storms delayed processing and backed up livestock on farms, brokers said. Pork

The return of rain set Manitoba pastures up for recovery this past growing season.

Manitoba cattle year in review: A tale of two halves

Producers entered 2022 reeling from drought but profitability returned later in the year

If there was ever a year that tested the mettle of Manitoba cattle producers, only for them to see their labours finally rewarded, it was 2022. The Manitoba cattle industry was in crisis mode at the start of the year, still reeling from the historic prairie-wide drought of the previous summer. Frigid temperatures accompanied one


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

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs touch three-week low

Most live cattle futures settle lower

Chicago | Reuters — CME lean hog futures set a three-week low on Thursday, under pressure from losses in broader markets and following recent weakness in cash hog prices, analysts said. Feeder cattle futures also ended lower as the market pulled back one day after hitting a September high. Livestock markets took signals from a

Cattle receive supplemented feed at the Myhre farm near Crane River, Man.

2022 a series of unanticipated swings

YEAR IN REVIEW: From famine-to-flood moisture and derailed supply chains, there was plenty of volatility to go around

If last year was the bomb dropping, this year saw the aftermath. Farmers started the year by coming off one of the worst and widespread droughts in decades. For younger producers who weren’t farming in the 1980s, it was probably the worst drought they’ve ever seen. There were heartbreaking stories of herd dispersals, feed shortages