(PBouman/iStock/Getty Images)

Klassen: Feeder market price discovery continues

Ontario buying interest leading Prairie market

In last week’s issue, we mentioned there was a large discrepancy in prices across Western Canada. Compared to the third week of December, prices in Manitoba were up $8/cwt to as much as $15/cwt, while Alberta markets were steady to $2/cwt higher. This past week, feeder prices in the eastern Prairie regions were relatively unchanged […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end firm on tight supplies, lower weights

Hogs mixed on weak cash prices, higher cutout

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures ended mostly firm on Friday, underpinned by tight supplies and as harsh winter weather in recent weeks lowered cattle slaughter weights and limited beef production, traders said. Live cattle futures prices remained bound in a recent trading range as cash cattle prices at Plains feedlot […] Read more


File photo of Rabobank’s office building in Utrecht. (Rabobank.com)

Rabobank to offer Canadian farm-level lending

Dutch co-operative bank's Canadian arm to loan directly to farmers, starting on Prairies

Updated — A global financing firm operating at higher altitudes in Canada’s food and agrifood sector now plans to expand its business down to the farm and ranch level. The Canadian arm of Rabobank — an Amsterdam-based farmer co-operative lender, providing banking, leasing and real estate services in more than 38 countries — announced Tuesday […] Read more

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 […] Read more


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 […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Corn imports still weigh on domestic feed market

MarketsFarm — Ample corn imports from the U.S. continue to keep the western Canadian feed grain market under pressure, with barley bids in Lethbridge trending lower through the early days of 2023. “We started the year with cash barley trading at roughly $450 (per tonne) in Lethbridge, it’s since declined to roughly $435,” said Jim […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME hogs sink to three-month low on weak pork prices

Live cattle steady to higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures fell on Tuesday for the eighth time in nine sessions on concerns about pork demand and slumping pork prices, traders said. The actively traded February lean hog contract dropped to a three-month low as packer margins eroded and the pork cutout price slid to the […] Read more

Photo: iStock/Getty Images

Mintec acquires Agribriefing to expand agrifood data offering

Paris | Reuters — British market intelligence firm Mintec announced on Tuesday the acquisition of Agribriefing in a deal it said would create a leading global provider of data on agricultural and food markets. Financial details were not disclosed. Agribriefing’s businesses include protein price-reporting agency Urner Barry and crop consultancy Strategie Grains, the latter acquired […] Read more


(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 […] Read more

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 […] Read more