CME February 2022 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20- and 100-day moving averages (pink and black lines) and CME cash lean hog index (dark red line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog slaughter hits five-month low on Omicron spread

CME hogs up, cattle down

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures rose on bargain buying on Wednesday, traders said, though U.S. pig slaughtering sank to its lowest level since August as rising cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant hit meat plants. Live cattle and feeder cattle futures slumped as traders remain concerned that the highly contagious […] Read more

CBOT March 2022 wheat (candlesticks) with K.C. March 2022 wheat (yellow line) and MGEX March 2022 wheat (green line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat futures fall on bigger-than-expected plantings, stocks

Winter wheat plantings exceed analysts' expectations; USDA also cuts corn, soybean crop estimates in South America

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures extended losses on Wednesday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture projected that domestic farmers planted more acres than traders anticipated. Larger-than-expected USDA estimates for wheat inventories added pressure on the market, analysts said, after supply concerns drove Chicago Board of Trade futures prices to nine-year highs in November. […] Read more


CME April 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, dark red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures end higher in short-covering bounce

Hogs extend slide

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Tuesday, on a technical bounce a day after falling to three-week lows, with optimism about a slight improvement in the U.S. slaughter pace lending support, traders said. But worries about slowdowns at packing plants due to worker shortages continued to hang over […] Read more

CBOT March 2022 wheat (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and dark green lines) and K.C. March 2022 wheat (blue line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat up on export business

Corn, soy firm ahead of USDA data

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures rose about one per cent on Tuesday on a pickup in global export business and short-covering ahead of several key U.S. Department of Agriculture reports due on Wednesday, traders said. Corn and soybean futures edged higher ahead of the reports, which will include updated estimates of U.S. 2021 […] Read more


CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs sag on Wall Street woes, worker shortages

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog and live cattle futures closed lower on Monday, pressured by declines on Wall Street along with slowdowns at slaughterhouses due to worker shortages, traders said. CME February live cattle futures settled down 1.075 cents at 136.25 cents/lb., while March feeder cattle futures ended down 1.325 cents […] Read more

CBOT March 2022 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (green line) and ICE March 2022 canola (yellow line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy, corn sag on South American weather outlooks

Wheat firms

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean and corn futures fell on Monday on forecasts calling for much-needed rains in dry areas of South America, along with long liquidation ahead of several key U.S. government reports due at mid-week, analysts said. Wheat futures firmed on short-covering and the unwinding of inter-market spreads. Chicago Board of Trade […] Read more


CBOT March 2022 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (yellow line) and CBOT March 2022 soymeal (green line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans rally, following soymeal gains

Wheat capped by big Argentina, Australia crops

Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago soybean futures rallied on Friday, supported by soymeal demand and weather issues in South America. Corn followed higher, although crops in Argentina and Brazil are likely less impacted by drought in the region as they have more time to benefit from rainfall expected later this month. Wheat rebounded from a […] Read more

CME March 2022 feeder cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, lean hogs fall on weaker slaughter

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and lean hog futures fell on Friday as sluggish slaughter rates continue to drag on prices, traders said. “They’re both facing the same fundamental music – this slaughter disruption due to weather, labour tightness and COVID,” said Dennis Smith, commodity broker at Archer Financial. CME February […] Read more


CBOT March 2022 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, green and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans ease after weather rally

Corn firms, wheat slips to nearly three-month low

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures dipped on Thursday as broad selling in financial markets countered weather concerns in South America that had pushed prices to a five-month high. Corn ended just above even, paring losses as private estimates of South American crops fell further due to hot, dry conditions in the region. Wheat […] Read more

CME February 2022 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, red and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures firm

Cash cattle prices provide support; lean hogs also firm with cash index

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures moved higher on Thursday, supported by cash cattle prices in the northern U.S. Plains, analysts said. “We’ve been under some pressure recently, but the cash trade was still at $138 to $140,” said Doug Houghton, technical analyst at Brock Capital Management (all figures US$). “That’s […] Read more