CME October 2019 lean hogs (candlesticks) and October live cattle (line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures swing wildly as trade war intensifies

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) livestock futures swung wildly on Monday, with the most-active October lean hog futures going nearly limit-up and -down in the same trading session, amid growing tensions in the U.S.-China trade war. China’s commerce ministry said that Chinese companies have stopped buying U.S. agricultural products, and that China […] Read more

Photo: Canada Beef Inc.

Klassen: Feeder cattle markets remain firm

Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were unchanged from seven days earlier. Strong buying interest was noted from finishing feedlots in Alberta. Orders flowed across the prairies keeping prices relatively even. U.S. feeder cattle markets traded $3 to as much as $8 higher in the Northern Plains which also underpinned prices in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. There […] Read more


Low demand and large supplies are expected to make the early fall period a dreary time for feedlot operators.

Volatile ride ahead for cattle complex

Market Update: Late October may be the best window to sell calves

The Alberta fed cattle market has been trending lower over the past two months as the market functions to encourage demand. In the previous issue, we explained that the beef market is characterized by an inelastic demand curve. Therefore, a small change in supplies can have a large influence on the price. Monthly beef production increased from March through June. […] Read more









Klassen: Feeder market experiences fortuitous bounce

Klassen: Feeder market experiences fortuitous bounce

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $2-$5 higher on average. Auction barns had limited numbers on offer but strong buying interest surfaced for quality packages. Alberta feedlots were the main buyers setting the price structure. There were two main factors enhancing demand this week. First, U.S. packers started to show some […] Read more

CME October 2019 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle sag as traders eye lower boxed-beef prices

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures ended mostly lower on Monday as weak boxed beef prices fueled concerns about increasing supplies. Select-grade boxed beef was $189.21/cwt on Monday afternoon, down 2.7 per cent from a week ago, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data issued after the close of trading […] Read more