CME October 2023 live cattle, with December 2023 live cattle (dark red O/H/L/C). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle touch contract highs on cash prices, tight supplies

Lean hogs mixed in technical trading

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures scaled to life-of-contract highs on Friday on firmer cash market prices and tight supplies of market-ready animals, traders said. Feeder cattle futures also posted contract highs across the board, drawing additional support from weaker feed corn prices. Feedlot cattle in the central and southern U.S. […] Read more

Photo: File

Feed weekly outlook: More demand for barley in Alberta

U.S. corn imports still expected to cap barley values

MarketsFarm — As Alberta’s harvest continued, yields and crop conditions have varied across the province, according to Erin Harakal, trade manager for Agfinity Inc. at Stony Plain, Alta. “There has been such a wide range across the map, it really depends on location,” she said. “We’ve seen some areas that are just below average of […] Read more


CME October 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Tight supply drives CME live cattle to new highs

Hogs down off Wednesday's one-month high

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures galloped to new highs on Thursday on short-covering combined with continued concerns about U.S. tight supplies, brokers said. October live cattle futures ended up 2.325 cents at 185.475 cents/lb. after setting a contract high of 185.775 cents/lb. (all figures US$). December live cattle settled 2.5 […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures ease in technical setback after highs

Nearby lean hogs also down on technical selling

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live and feeder cattle futures retreated on Wednesday in a technical selling and profit-taking setback after hitting highs earlier in the week, traders said. Higher feed corn prices and a weak tone to the cash beef market added pressure, they said. “This is technical after feeder cattle hit […] Read more


Photo: Canada Beef

Klassen: Feeder market continues to consolidate

U.S. feeder cattle supplies seen tighter than expected

Compared to last week, western Canadian grass yearling prices were relatively unchanged. Yearlings over 800 lbs. on light grain rations or on diets mixed with silage were priced at $5 to as much as $20 discount to those cattle coming straight off pasture. Larger groups of uniform quality continue to trade at a minor premium […] Read more



CME October 2023 feeder cattle with 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle, deferred live cattle hit new highs

October lean hogs also close higher

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. feeder cattle futures and deferred live cattle futures hit new contract highs on Monday, as tight U.S. supplies going into next year continued to fuel the bull market, traders said. Even Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s October and December live cattle futures surged within $1 of their contract highs, fueled by optimism […] Read more

CME June 2024 live cattle with 20-day moving average and October 2023 live cattle (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle, deferred live cattle set highs on tight supply

Hog futures down on lower export sales

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. feeder cattle futures and deferred live cattle futures climbed to new peaks on Friday, as limited U.S. supplies continued to propel prices. Inventories of U.S. cattle dwindled to their lowest levels in decades after producers reduced their herds over the last year because drought reduced the availability of pastures for […] Read more


File photo of harvesting near Wymark, Sask., south of Swift Current, on Sept. 8, 2020. (Nancy Anderson/iStock/Getty Images)

Feed weekly outlook: Harvest pressure keeps lid on prices

Domestic prices seen weighing on corn imports

MarketsFarm — As the harvest continued across the Canadian Prairies, pressure kept feed grain prices largely in check, according to Crystal Leitch of Market Master Ltd. in Edmonton. “We don’t see things changing too much because pricing is not what it was. There’s some hope that pricing is going to come back up, whether it […] Read more

CME October 2023 feeder cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle set contract high, live cattle hit July high

Hogs up but within yesterday's range

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures climbed to a July high on Thursday while feeder cattle set new contract highs. Tight supplies continue to support the markets, analysts said, after U.S. producers reduced their cattle herds over the last year as drought limited the availability of pastures for grazing. October live […] Read more