CME April 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle up on improved slaughter pace

Lean hogs down on profit-taking

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished higher on Wednesday on technical buying and as rising U.S. slaughter rates eased concerns about cattle supply backups. Cattle processing rates have ramped up after pandemic-related staffing shortages at some meat plants. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated Wednesday’s cattle slaughter at 118,000

CME February 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures touch highest since mid-October

CME cattle futures down on day

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures jumped to their highest in more than three months on Thursday, supported by strength in the cash markets, traders said. Most actively traded February lean hogs rose 2.625 cents, to 84.925 cents/lb. (all figures US$). The front-month contract closed just below its session peak of 84.975


CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures weak

Hog futures firm

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures fell on Tuesday, with mild profit-taking noted after rallying in three of the previous four sessions. Hog futures were firmer, extending their rebound from the five-week low hit last week. Most actively traded February lean hogs rose 0.7 cent to 81.6 cents/lb. (all figures US$).

CME April 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures end higher in short-covering bounce

Hogs extend slide

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Tuesday, on a technical bounce a day after falling to three-week lows, with optimism about a slight improvement in the U.S. slaughter pace lending support, traders said. But worries about slowdowns at packing plants due to worker shortages continued to hang over


Indian pork curry with naan bread. (Paul_Brighton/iStock/Getty Images)

India to allow imports of U.S. pork and products

Washington | Reuters — India has agreed to allow imports of U.S. pork and pork products into India, removing a longstanding barrier to U.S. agricultural trade, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Monday. “India’s agreement to allow U.S. pork imports for the first time is great news for U.S.

Hogs outdoors on a farm in Italy. (Coscarella Gianfranco/iStock/Getty Images)

Swine fever found in wild boar in Italy

Reuters — African swine fever, a deadly hog disease, has been found in a wild boar in Italy’s Piedmont region, the regional government said in a statement on Friday. Tests confirmed the disease in a dead boar in Ovada, located about 120 km southwest of Milan in northern Italy, the statement said. African swine fever


CME March 2022 feeder cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, lean hogs fall on weaker slaughter

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and lean hog futures fell on Friday as sluggish slaughter rates continue to drag on prices, traders said. “They’re both facing the same fundamental music – this slaughter disruption due to weather, labour tightness and COVID,” said Dennis Smith, commodity broker at Archer Financial. CME February

CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures firm

Cash cattle prices provide support; lean hogs also firm with cash index

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures moved higher on Thursday, supported by cash cattle prices in the northern U.S. Plains, analysts said. “We’ve been under some pressure recently, but the cash trade was still at $138 to $140,” said Doug Houghton, technical analyst at Brock Capital Management (all figures US$). “That’s


CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle down on lagging slaughter rates

Lighter supplies support lean hog futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased for a fifth consecutive session on Wednesday, pressured by lagging slaughterhouse production, analysts said. “We’re just not processing cattle fast enough. Some of the supply chain bottle necks that have affected the cattle market up to this point, they still remain in play,” said

CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 50-day moving average (black line) and August 2022 live cattle (pink line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Nearby CME live and feeder cattle futures ease

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures eased on Monday, remaining near recent highs as back-month contracts climbed to new highs on expectations of tighter supplies to come. CME February live cattle futures settled down 0.775 cent at 138.925 cents/lb., though back-month contracts starting with August 2022 found new life-of-contract highs (all