During the first week of June, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a live basis at $261 per hundredweight, f.o.b, feedlot in southern Alberta, up $4/cwt from a month earlier. Market-ready supplies of fed cattle were sharply above year-ago levels earlier in winter, but the backlog has slowly been alleviated through the spring period. […] Read more
CME live and feeder cattle futures turned lower on Tuesday as cutout values fell and consumer demand waned following the end of major steak-eating holidays, traders said.
For the week ending July 2, Western Canadian yearling prices were steady to $5 higher compared to seven days earlier for larger packages. Small groups of 800-pound-plus cattle were $10 to $15 discounted to pen-sized lots. Calf markets were relatively unchanged from the prior week, although volume was limited. There is significant open demand for yearlings and finishing feedlot operators are watching how prices develop.
Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures turned lower on Monday, shedding a post-holiday rally on demand concerns and news that beef-loving Argentines are cutting back on buying steaks as the country's economy slumps.
Nearly 1,000 unionized employees at Cargill Dunlop in Guelph ratified a new collective agreement on Saturday July 6. The workers, represented by Local 175 of the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW), began strike action after turning down a deal on May 26.
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Friday as consumer demand for beef remains high and as U.S. cattle herds continue to undergo a period of contraction, traders said.
Striking workers at Cargill's Dunlop beef processing plant in Guelph have a recommended memorandum of settlement in place and they will vote on the possible deal on Saturday.
Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher for a second session on Wednesday, supported by strong wholesale beef prices and light technical trading ahead of the U.S. July Fourth holiday, traders said.
Cargill plans to resume slaughtering cattle on Friday at its Dodge City, Kansas, beef plant, after weekend rains caused a partial roof collapse, the company said on Tuesday.