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

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures fall as feed costs rise

Pre-Memorial Day consolidation seen

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group hog and cattle futures eased on Friday, with rising soy and corn futures raising feed costs for livestock producers. Traders noted consolidation trade ahead of the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend. U.S. grain and livestock markets will be closed on Monday. The nearby June hogs contract fell 0.7 cent, […] Read more

CME June 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 40- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: June hogs touch four-week high

June, August live cattle futures up slightly

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group hog futures rose to their highest level in more than a month on Thursday, supported by strong exports and concerns about a slowing slaughter, traders said. Cattle futures ended the trading day close to unchanged. The U.S. Agriculture Department on Thursday morning said that export sales of pork totaled […] Read more


File photo of barrels on display in a Nova Scotia vineyard. (Tashka/iStock/Getty Images)

Wastewater regulation eased for Nova Scotia on-farm processing

Nova Scotia has introduced regulatory changes that allow on-farm processing operations to better manage wastewater on their smaller scale. The changes, which took effect May 11, come at the request of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture (NSFA) — which has said that owners of small farm-level processing facilities shouldn’t be treated the same as […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures weaken on cash market pressure

CME hog futures close mixed

Chicago | Reuters — CME Group cattle futures dipped on Wednesday, pressured by weakness in the cash markets, traders said. Hog futures were mixed, with prices closing well off their session highs after contracts hit technical resistance. The nearby June hogs contract rose 0.025 cent to 109.05 cents/lb., while most-active July futures fell 1.1 cents, […] Read more



dairy cows at bunk

Vitti: A common-sense high-forage diet for dairy cows

It's about finding the proper balance between grain and forage components of the ration

High-forage dairy diets have become very popular in the last few years. That’s because many dairy producers feared too much grain was being fed to their high-producing cows, causing digestive upsets and lameness. I have reviewed many of these former high-concentrate diets and agree that many were clearly unacceptable to feed. Yet I have also […] Read more


CME August 2022 feeder cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day movjng averages (pink, red and black lines). (Barchart)

Klassen: Canadian feeder market divorces from feeder cattle futures

Timing of new-crop feed grains leads to shift

Compared to last week western Canadian yearling markets traded $3-$4 on either side of unchanged. The quality was quite variable resulting in the wide price structure; however, decent genetic and lower flesh packages were red hot. Feedlot operators were extremely aggressive on 700- to 800-lb. steers although higher weight categories were also well bid. Auction […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures rise on export prospects

Chicago cattle futures also gain

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures rose on Monday, with the front-month contract hitting its highest since April 22, on expectations for a pick-up in demand from top pork consumer China, traders said. The most-active July hog futures contract ended firm for the sixth time in the last seven sessions, but faced […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: August live cattle, feeders ease on USDA report

Chicago lean hog futures firm

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures were mixed on Friday, with the nearby contract firming while the most-active month eased, pressured by expectations of increased cattle placements in the U.S. Agriculture Department’s monthly assessment. U.S. feedlots held two per cent more cattle on May 1 versus the same time a year […] Read more

CME August 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle mixed as traders await USDA data

Lean hog futures turn lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended mixed on Thursday as traders awaited U.S. Department of Agriculture data on the number of cattle in feedlots. USDA’s Cattle on Feed report, due Friday at 2 p.m. CT, is expected to show U.S. feedlots held 1.3 per cent more on May 1, compared […] Read more