(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder market faces many headwinds

Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle prices were relatively unchanged. Feedlot operators and order buyers were contending with a number of variables which resulted in a defensive tone. First, the Canadian dollar rallied late in the week, derailing any buying interest from south of the border. U.S. feeder cattle markets were also trading […] Read more



(Gloria Solano-Aguilar photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

U.S. livestock: CME hogs slump amid fund roll, NAFTA worries

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures finished lower on Friday, hit by the “roll” by funds into deferred months and uneasiness over North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks, said traders. “NAFTA fears, Goldman roll and premiums to the cash prices. Everyone who bought futures this week decided to dump them […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

U.S. livestock: Short-covering boosts CME live cattle

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Thursday after short-covering and fund buying reversed the previous session’s losses, said traders. In a trading strategy known as bull spreads, traders bought June and simultaneously sold deferred months, stirred by firmer wholesale beef values and future’s discount to expected cash prices […] Read more