CME January 2024 feeder cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs soar as U.S. Fed piques investors’ risk appetite

Beef, pork export sales above four-week average

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) cattle and hog futures rose on Thursday following broad strength in Wall Street equities, crude oil and other commodities, as investors’ risk appetite increased a day after the U.S. Federal Reserve kept benchmark interest rates on hold. “The emphasis is really from the ‘risk-on’ macro play, driven […] Read more

CME February 2024 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle firm on cash market optimism

Lean hog futures end lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures closed modestly higher on Wednesday, with the benchmark December contract extending its rebound from a four-month low set last week, buoyed by technical buying and expectations of rising cash cattle prices. Sellers in the Kansas and Texas cash markets were offering slaughter-ready cattle as […] Read more


A sea otter floats near the Columbia Glacier along Alaska’s southern gulf coast. (Chansak Joe/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast: Nice, quiet early-winter weather

Issued Nov. 1, covering Nov. 1 to 8

Interesting weather pattern setting up across the Prairies during this forecast period. Well, maybe “interesting” isn’t the right word; “boring” might be a better one. What I mean by “interesting” is just how quickly we swung from a warm fall pattern to a cool winter pattern. Low temperatures across the Prairies over the last week […] Read more

What manure does over and above its nutrient content is to provide organic carbon matter, which does wonders for soils.

Manuring cropland can be misunderstood and overdone

Sources of manure and compost

There are some 60,000 cow-calf farms and 20,000 dairy operations in Canada. Cattle numbers are around 12.5 million with more than 40 per cent of this total in Alberta. Alberta also had 90 per cent of the beef feedlots with lesser numbers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. There are 14 million hogs at any time in […] Read more


(Shadowinternet/E+/Getty Images)

ASF compartmentalization moves a step forward

Plan not an attempt to download responsibilities, CFIA says

Canada is one step closer to a compartmentalizing regime that hog farmers and the rest of the industry hope protects them against market impacts of African swine fever. Practical application can be developed now that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has released its National Standards and National Framework for the Canadian ASF Compartment Program. From […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME cattle rise on hopes for cash prices

Hogs also higher; livestock futures down on month

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures crept higher on Tuesday as the cattle markets continued to rebound from multi-month lows reached last week. Expectations for higher cash prices this week and beyond helped to underpin futures, analysts said. Cash prices improved on Friday, compared to the middle of last week. CME October […] Read more


Long-range outlook points to warmer winter

Long-range outlook points to warmer winter

Odds less likely for Prairies next three months

MarketsFarm — Warmer than normal temperatures are expected across nearly all of Canada this winter, with average precipitation for most of the agricultural areas of the Prairies. The latest long-range seasonal forecast from Environment Canada, released Tuesday, calls for a 40 per cent chance of above-normal temperatures from November through January across most of Alberta, […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle recover off recent slide, eye cash prices

Lean hogs also align with cash prices

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures topped a one-week high on Monday as the market recovered from steep losses last week. Firm prices in the cash market on Friday supported the rebound in futures, brokers said. CME December live cattle futures ended up 1.025 cents at 183.25 cents/lb. (all figures US$). […] Read more


(Mysticenergy/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast Update: Warmer air not in the cards

Issued Oct. 29, covering Oct. 29 to Nov. 1

The forecast for this period has been playing out pretty close to what the weather models were predicting, but with a few small differences. For Alberta, the forecasted upper ridge does not look like it will get nearly as strong as originally forecasted as a strong northwesterly flow helps to flatten the ridge. This means […] Read more

CME January 2024 feeder cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle recover off May-level low

Live cattle, lean hogs also higher

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle futures fell to their lowest level since May on Friday before ending higher, while live cattle recovered from June lows reached earlier this week. Strength in the cash market helped boost futures, traders said. Reports of meatpackers paying $185/cwt in Texas and $186/cwt in Nebraska represented […] Read more