(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Adverse weather limits demand for calves

Stronger Canadian dollar adds pressure

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were steady to $2 higher. Calves traded steady to $10 lower in Alberta while markets in Saskatchewan and Manitoba were quoted $5 lower to $2 higher. Adverse weather resulted in a softer tone for calves with Lethbridge temperatures dipping to -25 to -33 C last week. The […] Read more

CME February 2023 live cattle (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (pink line) and CME December 2022 live cattle (black line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end mostly lower

December, February hog futures up

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) live cattle futures closed mostly lower on Monday on technical selling and worries about consumer demand for high-priced cuts of beef, traders said. Most-active CME February live cattle futures settled down 0.7 cent at 152.55 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Deferred contracts also ended lower, but the spot […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME futures fall on grain rally

Beef cutout price drops

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) livestock futures slid on Friday as grain futures rallied, underpinned by strong commodities and equities markets, brokers said. The downward trend started when live cattle markets took a hit earlier in the day, when the feeder cattle traders began selling off their positions as corn futures firmed […] Read more

CME December 2022 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME cattle firm as grain markets pressured

Hogs under seasonal price pressure

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures firmed at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) on Thursday, as grain markets came under pressure from investor profit-taking even as the U.S. dollar tumbled on news U.S consumer prices rose less than expected in October, brokers said. December live cattle settled 1.5 cents higher at 153.075 cents/lb. February […] Read more


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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle settle lower as Wall Street slides

Feeder cattle, lean hogs also weaker

Chicago | Reuters — Live cattle futures slipped at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) on Wednesday as the market came under pressure from steep losses in equities and a lack of supportive news, brokers said. December live cattle settled 1.475 cents lower at 151.575 cents/lb. (all figures US$). February live cattle dropped 0.625 cent to […] Read more

CME December 2022 lean hogs with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs end lower, consolidate after rally

December live cattle futures flat

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures pulled back on Tuesday as the market consolidated after climbing nearly five per cent during the previous session, brokers said. CME December hogs closed 1.475 cents, or 1.7 per cent, lower at 85.575 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Wholesale pork prices were also lower. The U.S. […] Read more


(WPohlDesign/iStock/Getty Images)

Klassen: Tighter supplies underpin western Canadian feeder market

Weather conditions may sway buying interest

Compared to last week, western Canadian yearling prices were unchanged to $4 higher. Heavier calves notched a week-over-week gain of $2-$4. Mid-weight and lighter calves traded steady to $5 lower in Alberta but $4-$5 on either side of unchanged in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Yearling numbers were limited and buyers paid up for quality packages while […] Read more

CME December 2022 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 200-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs rally on bargain buying

Chicago live cattle firm

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures jumped nearly five per cent on Monday on bargain buying after the benchmark December contract on Friday dipped to its lowest in nearly three weeks, traders said. CME December hogs settled up 4.075 cents at 87.05 cents/lb., surging in early moves after the contract was […] Read more


CME December 2022 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures rise on robust beef, pork demand

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog and cattle futures rose on Friday, with strong consumer demand for pork and beef pushing prices higher, traders said. Live cattle received a boost from concerns about tight supplies. “The big thing on the cattle is that the beef market seasonally found some really good strength,” said […] Read more

While feedlot placements are up in the U.S. the opposite is happening in Western Canada
with feedlot placements dropping sharply below year-ago levels through the summer period.

Cattle market digesting many variables

Large Prairie barley crop in 2022, but big shipments of feed to China

As of the third week of September, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a live basis in the range of $180-$183/cwt delivered. Alberta finished cattle prices were rather flat throughout September. For March and April of 2023, feedlot operators have been able to forward-contract fed cattle on a dressed basis at $345/cwt delivered which […] Read more