(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Alberta fed cattle lead feeder market higher

Traders expecting more barley acres this year

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling markets traded $3-$5 higher while calf prices advanced $1-$3 on average. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis of $360/cwt last week, up $3-$10 from a week earlier. Using a 60 per cent grading, live prices would be equivalent to $216. Feeding margins have improved […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle down off highs on profit-taking

Hogs continue mixed on U.S. farrowing intentions

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures slumped on Monday as profit-taking dragged prices down after the market set new contract highs, traders said. CME June live cattle ended down 0.9 cent at 161.225 cents/lb., after reaching a high of 162.525 cents/lb. (all figures US$). That exceeded Friday’s high of 162.175 cents/lb. […] Read more


CME July 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs up in deferred months

USDA report fuels supply uncertainty; cattle up on cash strength

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures rose in deferred contracts on Friday on U.S. producers’ plans for fewer sows to farrow, analysts said. Producers intend to have 2.93 million sows farrow, or give birth, from March to May, down one per cent from actual farrowings a year earlier, the U.S. Department […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle set contract high as cash prices jump

USDA sees hog farrowing intentions down on year

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures strengthened on Thursday, with the front-month contract setting a new high, as cash prices climbed. Cash cattle trades of around $170-$171/cwt in western Nebraska and around $172/cwt in northwest Iowa ignited the rally in futures, analysts said (all figures US$). Cash prices were up about […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Feed weekly outlook: Prices continue to soften as April approaches

Seeding start in Alberta remains a question mark

MarketsFarm — Corn is still moving into feedlots in southern Alberta as it approaches not only the end of its contracts, but also the end of winter. “We’ve been seeing here in Lethbridge prices at $395-$400 per tonne ($10.03-$10.16 per bushel),” said Erin Harakal, trade manager at Agfinity Inc. at Stony Plain, Alta. “It seems […] Read more

Feed grain outlook lifts feeder cattle market

Feed grain outlook lifts feeder cattle market

Market Update with Jerry Klassen: The outlook for corn in U.S. and Brazil is for near-record production

The April 2024 live cattle futures have been trading near historical highs. As of early March, the contract was at $172.85/cwt. The live cattle futures are the feeder cattle futures five months forward. While the April live cattle futures are making fresh all-time highs, the November feeder cattle futures have been trading around $220/cwt. The […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle hit three-week peak on tightening U.S. supply

Weak cash prices drag on hog futures

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures marched to a three-week high on Wednesday on expectations for tighter U.S. supplies, analysts said. Feeder cattle futures also advanced, while lean hogs softened. Technical buying helped support live cattle, analysts said, after a drop near eight-week lows last week was seen as overdone. The […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures top two-week highs

Chicago lean hog futures ease

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures topped another two-week high on Tuesday before finishing slightly firmer, while lean hog futures ended lower. Technical buying helped support gains in cattle, as the market has rebounded after nearing a two-month low last week, brokers said. A smaller U.S. cattle herd is also supportive […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market eyes feed grain complex

Downside expected in new-crop barley prices

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded steady to $2 higher on average. Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $353-$357/cwt delivered last week, up from the average price of $348/cwt delivered seven days earlier. Strength in the fed cattle market continues to support the […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle exceed two-week highs in rebound

Lean hogs up off last week's lows

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed stronger and touched their highest prices in more than two weeks on Monday as livestock markets recovered from recent losses, analysts said. The Dow and S+P 500 also ended higher, after turmoil in the banking sector recently weighed on equity and commodity markets. Cattle […] Read more